Transport Minister Barbara Creecy says 1,427 people died in 1,172 crashes during the 2025/26 festive season. She called it the lowest number of crashes in five years and said both fatalities and crashes were down 5% compared to the previous festive season. The death toll, however, matches the 2023/24 festive season, showing how stubborn road trauma remains in South Africa.

Drunk Driving Ban Back on the Table

Off the back of the latest numbers, Creecy wants a drink driving ban that removes the current legal allowance for alcohol under a set limit. She said South Africa’s drinking-and-driving policy is almost 30 years old and argued it is “totally unacceptable” that the law still allows people to drink then drive. Her proposal includes amending section 65 of the National Road Traffic Act to move to a zero-alcohol approach for drivers.

Alcohol Cases Surge Despite Testing and Roadblocks

Creecy’s report showed a sharp rise in alcohol-related enforcement outcomes. Law enforcement tested 173,695 drivers for alcohol and 8,561 tested positive, which the minister said is a 144% increase compared to the previous year. In one extreme case in KwaZulu-Natal, a driver recorded a breath alcohol level 14 times above the legal limit.

Where and When Crashes Spiked

More than 40% of festive-season crashes and deaths happened between 15 and 28 December, with many incidents occurring after travellers reached their destinations. The busiest danger windows were weekends between 7pm and 9pm and again between midnight and 1am. The most common crash types included pedestrian collisions, hit-and-runs, single-vehicle overturns and head-on collisions, with pedestrian deaths highest in metros like Cape Town, Johannesburg, eThekwini and Tshwane.