The African National Congress has welcome the preliminary Easter Weekend 2016 Road Safety Report as released by the Minister of Transport, Comrade Dipuo Peters, today, 29 March 2016. The report which entailed figures from the 24th of March to the 28th of March 2016, represented a 46% decline on road fatalities this year, 2016, compared to the year 2015.
The decline has been attributed to the Department of Transport's rigorous road safety awareness initiatives, which together with increasing accountability by road users is yielding the desired outcomes.
The report indicates that 913 drivers were arrested for drunken driving and 502 were caught speeding. One misdemeanour on our roads is one too many and thus the ANC remains concerned by these statistics. We call on all motorists to ensure that their modes of transport are road worthy, and that they don't drink and drive. Their safety is of paramount importance.
The ANC thanks and commends the law enforcement officers, men and women, who worked tirelessly, day and night, to make sure that our people are safe on our roads and arrive safely at their various destinations over the weekend. Their high visibility before and during the weekend is commendable. It is worth noting that our world class road infrastructure is a contributing factor to this year's success.
We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the deceased, including the two law enforcers who lost their lives. May their souls rest in peace. Our sympathies go to those injured on our roads. We, equally, wish them a speedy recovery. We thank all motorists, particularly the public transport drivers, for exercising precaution on the road and ensuring that their passengers are safe.
