Alcohol was one of the biggest killers on Western Cape roads this festive season.
A total 168 people were killed in 141 crashes across the province during the 2025/26 festive period, reflecting a 21% increase in fatalities compared to the previous festive season.
The provincial mobility department’s feedback report, presented to its legislature committee on Thursday, shows 87 of those deaths occurred in Cape Town.
For the entire 2025 calendar year, fatalities decreased by 4%, according to the report.
Pedestrian hotspots included Khayelitsha, Philippi, Delft, Gugulethu, Kraaifontein, Nyanga, Mitchells Plain, Harare, Mfuleni and George’s Thembalethu.
Roads identified as high risk were Steve Biko Drive, Mew Way, Govan Mbeki Road, Jan van Riebeeck Road, Spine Road and Baden Powell Drive.
Other roads of concern were Jakes Gerwel Drive, AZ Berman Drive, Potsdam Road, Merriman Avenue, Bonga Drive, Delft Main Road, the R300, N2 and N12.
Among the most serious incidents were a December 7 crash near Lutzville that killed seven people after reckless overtaking involving two light delivery vehicles, a December 18 single-vehicle crash on the N12 in which three passengers died after the driver lost control, and a December 22 head-on collision near Ashton that claimed five lives.
The report said pedestrian crashes occurred mostly at night and over weekends.
Alcohol use by both drivers and pedestrians, risky behaviour, poor lighting and unsafe crossings were identified as contributing factors.
Operational challenges during the period included veld fires that caused closures along the N2 and secondary routes, sustained high traffic volumes, increased pedestrian exposure in high-risk areas and the termination of 118 cadet officer contracts in early December.
The report also noted concerns about ineffective deployment of national traffic police in certain high-risk areas.
MPL Benson Ngqentsu told the committee: “The hotspots are still the same hotspots which were reported in the previous financial years of festive reporting.”
He said the report does not outline what was being done to address the issues.
“What is missing in the report are measures which were put in place to attend to these identified known hotspots, which continues to be black working-class townships, not suburbs,” he said.
He said in the policy statement there was mention of fatigue management interventions along long-distance roads, including the N1, N2 and N7, but that the report does not provide accountability.
“So, how many fatigue management interventions were conducted during the festive season, including roadblocks?” he asked.
He pointed out that the report states that about 24,000 vehicles were checked.
He said he personally drove on the N1 to Beaufort West and on the N2 on two occasions and “there were no roadblocks, on different occasions, two times, no roadblocks, nothing, but the vehicle standing”.
Western Cape mobility MEC Isaac Sileku responded by saying the province had to account to the national transport ministry twice in one week about what was being done to address pedestrian fatalities.
He said pedestrian fatalities are not unique to the Western Cape.
“The issue of pedestrians is an issue that is confronted by the Western Cape, by KwaZulu-Natal, by Gauteng,” Sileku said.
Sileku said many pedestrian fatalities occur in areas where informal settlements are close to freeways.
He said jaywalking, poor visibility and dark clothing at night contribute to crashes.
He said the province would strengthen education and awareness campaigns, particularly in high-risk areas.
“We can have all the plans in the world when it comes to bringing down our pedestrian fatalities, but if we don’t deal with the issue of human behaviour and driver behaviour in our province, it’s not a law enforcement issue alone,” he said.
“It’s a work in progress, but we are steadfast that we are able to turn the corner.”
He also pointed to a pattern over the past five years. “If you go back in the last five years, what we have seen in the Western Cape, the trend has been that whenever we see an increase in fatalities, the next financial year would see a decline,” he said.
“One life lost is life too many.”
MPL Leon van Wyk questioned whether the department is able to measure traffic volumes, particularly during peak holiday periods.
He suggested traffic volumes should be measured not only during the festive season but more broadly, especially on major routes such as the N1 and N2.
Van Wyk also raised concerns about the number of heavy motor vehicles on major routes.
“What I have experienced over the last year on both the N1 and I think what is also particularly relevant is the N2 is the number of heavy motor vehicles that one then finds,” he said.
He said gathering intelligence on traffic volumes and heavy vehicle movements could assist in applying traffic policing and monitoring more effectively.
“Those are probably also aspects that we need to gather intelligence on so that one can apply the traffic policing and the traffic monitoring more effectively,” he said.
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Brandon Nel
iol.co.za