Transport Minister Barbara Creecy announced that law enforcement officers had issued 21,607 traffic fines and arrested 512 drivers for various offences, including drunk driving and excessive speeding, while a total of 111 drunk drivers were arrested in the Eastern Cape alone.
Creecy addressed the media on Monday at the Kranskop Toll Gate at Middelfontein, between Bela-Bela and Modimolle.
She said the N1 remained the busiest route over Easter, with traffic volumes reaching the highest levels seen in the past five years.
Much of the increased traffic was attributed to millions of Zion Christian Church (ZCC) members traveling to Moria for the first mass pilgrimage since the end of COVID-19 restrictions.
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Despite peak volumes reaching around 2,047 vehicles per hour on Thursday and Friday, Creecy confirmed that the N1 recorded no fatal crashes during the period.
The N1 corridor is long regarded as one of the country’s most hazardous routes.
“This is a rare occurrence for this route and speaks to the effectiveness of our law enforcement deployment plan and the improving conduct of motorists,” she said.
However, Creecy raised concern over an incident in Mokopane where a driver, arrested for drunk driving, attempted to bribe National Traffic Police officers.
The driver will face charges of bribery, corruption, and drunk driving.
She praised the officers for their professionalism, discipline, and integrity.
“I hope other officers can emulate this exemplary behaviour to restore public confidence and respect for our traffic law enforcement sector,” she said.
While full statistics on crashes and fatalities are still being verified, Creecy said early indications show that road safety campaigns have been effective, with the public responding positively.
Aside from a major crash in Mpumalanga on Thursday that claimed six lives, she said there were no other incidents where five or more fatalities were recorded during the first two days of the Easter peak travel period.
Creecy said between March 20 and April 18, as part of the broader Easter road safety campaign, a total of 782,397 vehicles were stopped and checked, resulting in 116,013 traffic fines being issued.
During this period, 3,514 drivers were arrested for offences such as drunk driving, excessive speeding, operating permit violations, falsified documentation, and outstanding warrants.
Eighty-nine pedestrians were arrested for jaywalking and endangering other road users.
Additionally, 2,225 unroadworthy vehicles were discontinued, and 2,448 vehicles were impounded for various permit and regulatory violations.
Creecy highlighted one particularly severe case in the Eastern Cape, where a motorist in Tsolo recorded a breath alcohol content of 2.38 milligrams per 1,000 millilitres, nearly 10 times the legal limit.
She commended the traffic law enforcement for the success in the Easter weekend.
“We also thank the civil society organisations, the private sector, churches, the taverners associations and public opinion influencers for lending their support to a multi-sectoral collaborative effort to raise public awareness and reduce fatalities on the roads,” Creecy added.
Meanwhile, the Automobile Association (AA) commended the absence of fatal crashes on the N1.
“This marks a promising step forward in the ongoing national effort to enhance road safety,” said AA spokesperson Eleanor Mavimbela.
“While final figures are still pending, the AA believes there is already sufficient evidence to commend South African road users for contributing to what appears to be a reversal of a worrying trend,” she said.
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