JOHANNESBURG, April 29 (Xinhua) -- South Africa recorded a reduction in road crashes and fatalities during the 2025 Easter weekend, the first in three years, Minister of Transport Barbara Creecy announced on Tuesday.
The number of people killed on the roads fell to 167 in 2025, down from 248 in the previous year. "All provinces recorded decreases in fatalities except Mpumalanga, which recorded a 27.3 percent increase compared to 2024," Creecy said, adding that Mpumalanga Province had 28 fatalities, up from 22 last year.
Releasing the Easter Weekend Road Safety Report in Pretoria, the administrative capital of South Africa, Creecy said a 32.5 percent decrease was observed, as the number of crashes fell from 209 last year to 141 this year.
The minister attributed the improvement to common and "consistent" operations by law enforcement agencies across the country.
Coordinated action by national, provincial, and local government authorities, as well as significant partnerships between civil society and government, resulted in messaging that positively impacted driver behavior through the "It Begins with Me" campaign, she said.
Vigilance on the road by law enforcement agencies will continue as the Easter campaign is set to end on May 4.
Long weekends are a period when the risk of fatal crashes and fatalities increases because of drunk driving, increased pedestrian movements, sports, and social events, including increased traffic volumes on national and provincial routes, the minister added.
During the Easter period, which began on April 17, 177,584 vehicles were stopped and checked. A total of 44,505 fines were issued to motorists, she said.
