NATIONAL NEWS - The start of the month of December signals the start of the much-awaited festive season we have all been secretly yearning for - probably since the end of the last festive season!

While we have been waiting for the arrival of December that is characterised by long hot days, scones and drinks on tap under a tree or on the stoep in our beloved villages or dorpies, the December holidays also have a dark side.

This holiday season on South African roads is also synonymous with serious and sometimes deadly accidents that steal the joy from families and friends of those involved in fatal vehicle crashes.

While some can walk away from vehicle crashes with their lives intact - they likely do so with life altering injuries. In some instances, the accidents could have been avoided if one did not have that tempting ‘one last drink’ before getting behind the steering wheel, or more cautiously sent their vehicle in for a safety check, prior to embarking on a long-distance trip.

Such precautions can mean the difference between life and death; the difference between becoming a statistic or not being one.

Government’s Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act shows that government is equally concerned about the carnage on our roads. 

The act of which its implementation has been postponed to 1 July 2026, provides for the penalisation of drivers and operators of motor vehicles who are guilty of road infringements through a system of demerit points. The demerit system can result in the suspension or cancellation of driving licences.

The Act’s system involves demerit points being allocated according to the severity of infringements committed. Under the system, vehicles are not punished by the system, but the operator /juristic person is held responsible for the use of the vehicle.

The thought of having so many demerits that lead to the cancellation of one’s drivers licence and having to go through the driving licence test again, is anxiety inducing. I for one, did not get my driver’s licence the first time around, but that is a conversation for another day!  

The nationwide rollout of the act which is also aimed at promoting safer roads through a uniform system of traffic law enforcement across the country, was meant to start on 1 December this year.

However, the Department of Transport has said that the deferment of the implementation date is due to time being needed to finalise the training of law enforcement officers and back-office personnel and the harmonisation of the law enforcement system used by the various municipalities to align with AARTO requirements.

And while one can say that the postponement is a bit of a drawback, it shows that government is keen on ensuring that things are done by the book.

As part of efforts to ensure safety and reduce the toll that accidents have on lives and livelihoods, in its tabled Budget Vote in July, the department said it aims to reduce road fatalities by 45% by 2029, so that the country reaches the United Nations target of halving road fatalities by 2030.

As is human nature to make mistakes, crashes are not the sole preserve of the December holiday period. Throughout the year, government not only calls for caution on the roads but also puts in place campaigns to remind road users of the importance of using roads safety.

The Easter Road Safety Report statistics show the effectiveness of such campaigns.

“Easter 2025 had the lowest number of crashes and fatalities we have seen for the last three years. Crashes were reduced from 209 in 2024 to 141 in 2025 which is a 32.5 percent overall decrease compared to 2024,” the Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy said at the release of the stats in April.

The reduction was not only because of visible patrols, widespread and consistent law enforcement operations across the nine provinces; but also co-ordinated action by national, provincial and local government authorities.

The department also noted that the reduction in crashes was also due to partnerships between civil society and government.

Government is also acutely aware that transport is not only the backbone of the economy with the annual commemoration of Transport Month in October, but that is also its responsibility to ensure the provision of efficient, affordable, accessible, safe, and reliable public transport adding that improving universal accessibility and safety at taxi ranks, train, and bus stations is on its list of priorities.

The bus crash that claimed the lives of 43 people in Limpopo in October; the crash between a minibus taxi and a truck along the N3 between Van Reenen and Montrose in the Free State, as well as crashes involving children in KwaZulu-Natal remain fresh in our minds.

The elevation of road safety is not only done over the course of long weekends and the Easter period but also throughout the year with law enforcement controls like Operation Shanela regularly reporting the arrest of drunk drivers. 

To date, the police have already launched various safety campaigns across the country which includes multidisciplinary roadblocks by law enforcement.

And yes, while there are corrupt traffic officers who take bribes and let motorists get away with wrongdoing, not every officer is a rotten apple. When reported, such officers are brought to book.

In addition, potholes are being attended to through initiatives like the department’s Vala Zonke Pothole Patching Programme and provinces like Gauteng are also continuing to make progress in upgrading, maintaining, and rehabilitating roads to enhance their safety, accessibility, and economic connectivity while also taking unroadworthy vehicles off the roads.

As the year draws to a close, let us use the roads responsibly, not only during the upcoming festivities, but always. The ideal is not to drink and drive; or drive faster than Formula 1 drivers; or overtake carelessly. Nor is it to engage in road rage, and fall asleep at the wheel, among others.

We should not have to wait for rules such as those contained in the AARTO Act to be responsible citizens.

Our lives depend on it. Let us all be safe this festive season and not become a mere statistic. -SAnews.gov.za  

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