Cops out in full force this Easter weekend

With the Easter weekend upon us, law enforcement agencies are expected to be out in full force as thousands of travellers head to various destinations over the Easter long weekend.

Busy routes during this period include the N1 from Gauteng to Free State, the N3 from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal, the N2 from the Western Cape to Eastern Cape, the N14 from Gauteng to the North West and the N1 from Gauteng to Limpopo.

In a Tweet, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said he would on Thursday join law enforcement on the roads as they oversee the anticipated traffic influx.

LIVE BEYOND EASTER WEEKEND: A CALL FOR RESPONSIBLE ROAD USE

We are cognisant that this is going to be one of the most challenging Easter weekends as we expected increased volumes of traffic. We will increase law enforcement and we call for responsible driving. #LiveBeyondEaster pic.twitter.com/aGv0bWvgO7

— FIKILE MBALULA | MR FIX (@MbalulaFikile) April 13, 2022

Launching the 2022 Easter Road Safety campaign earlier in the week, the Minister said law enforcement would focus on safety belts, roadworthiness of vehicles, fatigue, drunk driving, pedestrian safety and dangerous driving (speeding, recklessness and overtaking on barrier lines).

In January and February this year, 1 823 people lost their lives on South African roads. This was higher compared to the 1 521 fatalities in the same period in 2021.

Over the last five years, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Limpopo accounted for the highest number of fatalities compared to other provinces.

All provinces experienced spikes in fatalities in the first two months of the year, with Gauteng leading with 355 deaths, followed by KZN with 269, Western Cape 249, Limpopo 239 and Eastern Cape 23, the Minister revealed.