Pretoria - South African road fatalities have slightly declined for the period 2010 - 2014, according to the country’s mid-term report to the United Nations 2nd Global High Level Dialogue on Road Safety.
The report details the progress South Africa has made to reduce road fatalities since the adoption of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2010-2020.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) board chairman, Zola Majavu, said South Africa has been able to reduce road fatalities by 1.88% annually in the previous five years compared with the 0.52% for the period 2005 - 2009.
Speaking on Wednesday during the certification ceremony for National Traffic Police, Majavu said more still needs to be done for South Africa to reach the 50% target by 2020.
“To reach this target we have to reduce road fatalities by an annual rate of 6.7%. Fatalities currently stand at 12 702, which represents a significant reduction compared with 13 967 recorded in 2010.
“Fatalities per 100 000 human population now stand at 23.53 compared with 27.49 recorded in 2010,” he said.
A total of 130 members of the National Traffic Police have completed a four-month training course to improve their skills.
“We believe that this training has equipped our traffic officers with the necessary skills and expertise to help us embark on an intensified programme of road safety to save lives on our roads during this festive season and every day thereafter for the rest of the year,” Majavu said.
The men and women received training in the examination of vehicles, the use of firearms, the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act, the National Traffic Act and other legal aspects of law enforcement. – SAnews.gov.za
