SOUTH AFRICA – Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced that the South African government is advancing legislative amendments to enforce a strict zero percent blood alcohol policy, a critical measure designed to drastically reduce the country’s annual road fatalities. Speaking at the Road Safety Practitioners’ Colloquium in Ekurhuleni, Creecy outlined the strategic roadmap to secure cabinet […]
SOUTH AFRICA – Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced that the South African government is advancing legislative amendments to enforce a strict zero percent blood alcohol policy, a critical measure designed to drastically reduce the country’s annual road fatalities. Speaking at the Road Safety Practitioners’ Colloquium in Ekurhuleni, Creecy outlined the strategic roadmap to secure cabinet concurrence for the proposed changes to Section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act by the end of 2026.
The department is currently in the process of acquiring approval from the Chief State Law Advisor and the Socio-Economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) to finalize the amendment. The urgency of this policy is underscored by recent enforcement data: more than 18,000 individuals were arrested for drunken driving between March and the end of August 2026 alone, accounting for one-third of all traffic arrests during that period.
Addressing the broader road safety crisis, Creecy emphasized that South Africa cannot normalize the nearly 12,000 deaths recorded on the country’s roads annually. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the government has set a definitive target to halve annual road fatalities by 2030.
Recent data indicates that these interventions are yielding measurable results. Creecy noted a more than 6 percent reduction in annual crashes and fatalities in 2025 compared to 2024. Furthermore, data from the 2025/26 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign reflected a 5 percent reduction in both road fatalities and crashes, with five provinces recording declines compared to the same period the previous year. During the 2026 Easter long weekend, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) recorded the second-lowest number of crashes and fatalities over the past four-year Easter periods. Compared to the peak in 2024, Easter crashes declined by 24 percent and fatalities by 39 percent.
A snapshot of road crashes for the first eight months of 2026 further highlights this downward trajectory. From January 1 to August 23, 2026, a total of 6,457 people died on the country’s roads, representing a 9 percent overall reduction in fatalities compared to 2025. However, vulnerabilities remain: pedestrians accounted for 48 percent of all fatalities, and over a third of all deaths occurred in the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. Conversely, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, and North West provinces successfully met or exceeded the 10 percent target for reducing fatalities within their respective jurisdictions.
Creecy stressed that the progress witnessed in reducing fatalities and crashes is not accidental, but rather the direct result of coordinated law enforcement, strategic partnerships with civil society, and a shift in the collective consciousness of road users.
To specifically address the high number of pedestrian deaths, authorities have implemented a targeted focus this year on preventing individuals from crossing or walking on highways. Traffic policing authorities have intensified patrols in entertainment areas near highways to prevent inebriated pedestrians from running across major roads, actively encouraging the use of designated road crossings.
Visibility and public education remain central to the success of these measures. Creecy noted that enhanced visibility in pedestrian accident-prone areas, supported by local communities and the South African Police Service (SAPS), will sustain the momentum required to achieve the road safety decade action target.
A whole-of-society approach has proven essential in disseminating the road safety message. By mobilizing communities through engagements with civil society, traditional leaders, and faith-based organizations, the RTMC and provincial partners have conducted over 14,000 road safety education and awareness interventions this year. Additionally, the Department and the RTMC have executed a coordinated media campaign throughout the year, partnering with over 50 media outlets to focus on weather advisories, traffic updates, and roadworthiness and vehicle compliance inspections.
While the statistical milestones are commendable, Creecy concluded that the government cannot rest on its laurels, as every life lost represents the devastating loss of a loved one, a parent, and a breadwinner, necessitating intensified efforts to continue driving down these figures.
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