Easter 2025 road deaths drop by 32.5%, says transport minister Barbara Creecy
Transport minister Barbara Creecy has announced a significant reduction in road crashes and fatalities over the 2025 Easter holiday period, marking what she described as 'the lowest number of crashes and fatalities we have seen for the last three years.'
Speaking at the official release of the 2025 Easter Road Safety Report in Pretoria, Creecy attributed the improvement to early campaign mobilisation, increased law enforcement visibility, and collaborative partnerships with civil society, government entities, and the private sector.
'Crashes were reduced from 209 in 2024 to 141 in 2025, which is a 32.5% overall decrease compared to last year,' Creecy said.
Fatalities were reduced from 307 in 2024 to 167 in 2025, which is a 45.6 percent decrease.
While the overall trend across the country was positive, the minister noted that not all provinces recorded improvements.
'All provinces recorded decreases except Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, which both recorded an increase,' she said.
Notably, Mpumalanga saw an increase in fatalities, from 22 in 2024 to 28 in 2025—a 27.3 percent rise.
The department of transport launched its Easter road safety campaign on 20 March 2025, ahead of the long weekend travel period. The campaign involved collaboration with civil society organisations, public transport operators, the religious sector, and influential individuals to promote education and awareness among drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
Creecy said:
We had critical routes and had agreed that visible patrols on those routes would form the cornerstone of our traffic police deployment strategy. Consequently, when the Easter peak travel period came, we were well prepared.
She identified three primary factors behind the reduction in incidents:
Widespread and consistent law enforcement operations across all nine provinces;
Co-ordinated action by national, provincial, and local government authorities; and
Significant partnerships between civil society and government, especially through the 'It Begins with Me' campaign, which influenced driver behaviour.
Law enforcement efforts during the Easter period, from 17 to 21 April, were extensive. Key statistics from these operations include:
177 584 vehicles stopped and checked;
44 505 traffic fines issued;
2 018 vehicles discontinued;
1 536 vehicles impounded;
941 drivers arrested for drunk driving;
89 drivers arrested for excessive speeding;
12 pedestrians arrested for jaywalking;
8 drunk drivers arrested for attempting to bribe officers.
According to Creecy, these figures reflect the department's focus on visibility and firm enforcement measures.
She emphasised that the successes achieved are the result of combined efforts across various sectors and called for continued collaboration moving forward.
The Minister addressed key stakeholders during her briefing, including the deputy minister of transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa, the CEO of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) Advocate Msibi, the CEO of the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA), the Registrar of the Road Traffic Infringement Agency, the Chairperson and CEO of SANRAL, as well as Chiefs of Law Enforcement.
In closing,Creecy reaffirmed the importance of joint responsibility and behavioural change in addressing road safety, noting that while progress had been made, ongoing commitment would be essential in the months ahead.
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