Western Cape festive season road safety: A decrease in fatalities but ongoing challenges
The Western Cape has reported a 15.24% decrease in road fatalities marking a reduction from 164 deaths in 2023 to 139 during the festive season of 2024-2025.
This was revealed in Western Cape’s Festive Season Road Safety performance from 1 December 2024 to 11 January 2025.
While this reduction is encouraging, officials stress that the fight for safer roads continues, as pedestrian fatalities remain a significant concern.
Mobility MEC Isaac Sileku expressed his condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.
“I first want to express my condolences to the families and loved ones of the 139 individuals who tragically lost their lives on our roads this festive season.
“While any loss of life is devastating, I am encouraged by the fact that this figure represents a decrease in fatalities.
“Similarly, the number of fatal crashes dropped from 142 to 123 – a trend that affirms the positive impact of our approach.”
However, the statistics also highlight the ongoing challenges faced by the province.
Pedestrians remain the highest category of fatalities, followed by passengers and drivers. Sileku stressed:
“We cannot accept this reality and must intensify our collective efforts to change it.”
During the festive season, the Western Cape was the only province in South Africa to maintain a 24/7 Traffic Law Enforcement service.
The province deployed 701 officers supported by 356 vehicles, along with additional help from the National Traffic Police and the City of Cape Town.
Together, they conducted 1,695 integrated law enforcement operations, down from 2,207 in 2023.
“This created a sense of increased law enforcement presence, which led to improved road user behaviour,” Sileku remarked.
Enforcement efforts were concentrated in high-risk areas, including the N1, N2, and neighborhoods like Khayelitsha and Woodstock.
Over 215,000 vehicles were inspected during the season, resulting in 905 arrests.
Of these, 627 were for driving under the influence of alcohol—up from 576 last year—mostly involving males aged 18-35. The enforcement campaign also saw the issuance of 72,438 fines for various violations, which remains a cause for concern.
“72,000 fines remain a cause for concern and demonstrate that driver behaviour still needs significant improvement,” Sileku said.
The Road Safety Education Unit also played a key role in the province’s efforts, carrying out 43 interventions aimed at educating the public on road safety.
These initiatives reached over 3,000 people through mall activations and distributed more than 1,700 pamphlets.
In addition, 1,062 public transport vehicles were tested at key transport hubs across the province.
A comprehensive communication campaign was also launched, utilizing digital and static billboards, radio ads, social media outreach, and mobile trailer boards along major routes such as the R300, N1, N2, and N7.
Sileku acknowledged that while the reduction in fatalities is promising, serious concerns remain.
“Pedestrian fatalities continue to dominate the statistics, despite showing a decrease of 6%. Drunk driving remains a major contributor to road carnage, despite over 35,000 alcohol screenings conducted this season,” he noted.
Looking ahead, Sileku called for continued efforts to tackle these challenges. “Addressing these issues requires sustained commitment. We will continue to prioritise road safety as a shared responsibility and urge all road users to play their part in ensuring safer roads for everyone.”
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za