While more people died in road crashes over the Easter holiday nationally, the Western Cape recorded a 30% decrease in road deaths.
|||Cape Town - While more people died in road crashes over the Easter holiday nationally, the Western Cape has recorded a 30 percent decrease in road deaths.
Preliminary figures show that at least 241 people - most of whom were pedestrians - died on roads around the country over the Easter long weekend.
Transport Minister Ben Martins said a total of 201 vehicle crashes were recorded during this period, leading to 241 deaths.
Last year, 217 fatalities resulted from 181 incidents.
In the Western Cape, Easter road deaths between March 29 and April 1 had decreased from 20 deaths in 2012 to 14 deaths in 2013.
Six passengers, six pedestrians, a driver and a motorcyclist were killed.
Martins said it was “regrettable” that the preliminary national figures were higher this year.
“Many passengers also lost their lives because they do not use safety belts. Only 2 percent of passengers use safety belts compared to 60 percent of drivers.”
Traffic officers have been encouraged to be stricter on people who do not use seatbelts.
Transport and Public Works MEC Robin Carlisle said the number of road deaths at this time of year had varied over the last five years.
There were just seven deaths over the 2011 Easter weekend, 28 deaths in 2010 and 21 deaths in 2009.
“Despite very low fatalities for Easter 2011, the long trend line shows that figures remain below the average since 2009,” Carlisle said.
In the Western Cape, there were two arrests for excessive speeding, with drivers clocking 165km/h and 195km/h in a 120km/h zone.
A total of 56 arrests were made for driving under the influence of liquor or over the limit out of f 3 370 people who were stopped and screened for alcohol.
Nationally, 250 000 vehicles were stopped, 79 056 fines issued and 864 people arrested for driving under the influence. Traffic authorities suspended 1 039 licences and impounded 1 024 vehicles.
The final figures are expected to be released once traffic authorities and police officers have compiled the information.
natasha.prince@inl.co.za
Cape Argus