PRESS RELEASE

AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH AFRICA

PRN3 11 January 2017

Time for talking is gone AA

Association says death tolls will continue to rise in the absence of
proper, actionable strategies
The increase in road deaths over the 2016/17 festive period is cause for great concern and points to the
lack of a proper road safety strategy to deal with the carnage. This is the view of the Automobile
Association (AA) which was commenting on the road fatality statistics release by Transport Minister Dipuo
Peters in Midrand today.
According to the Minister 1714 people died on South African roads between 1 December 2016 and 9
January 2017. Over the same period last year 1629 people died on the countrys roads, meaning this
years figures show a four percent increase.
The AA extended its condolences to the families and friends of those who died during this period, and
said it was now more imperative than ever to address the problem.
On the surface, this increase may appear to be nominal, but the reality is that the number is neither
stabilising nor, more importantly, coming down. More concerning is that the Department of Transport, and
the Minister, are saying the same things this year as they did last year, and the situation is not getting any
better, the AA said.
The Association also pointed to the various indabas and forums held throughout the year, significantly
the Traffic Officers Indaba in Durban from 5 to 9 December 2016, which appear to have had no
noticeable impact on the fatality statistics.
Hosting a road safety indaba so late in the year has proven to be fruitless; the results speak for
themselves. Despite the many apparent road safety education and awareness campaigns throughout the
year, that the minister referenced in here speech as a success, there has been no impact on the death
toll at all. It is time that more drastic action is taken to address this situation, the AA noted.
The also AA expressed concern that the preliminary figures announced today may increase, as they did
last year, further adding to the number of deaths. What is particularly dismaying about the 2017 numbers
is the steep increase in the number of passengers who died. Passengers accounted for 40% of deaths
this year, along with 34% pedestrians, and 24% drivers.
Another concern is that the number of cars stopped, and fines issued, during this period are as high as
they are. According to the AA this should be standard procedure and not limited to special times of the
year, such as festive holiday seasons. The Association noted that these cars could have been stopped
and many removed from the roads months ago, and that a more impressive figure would have been if
drivers had been stopped for moving violations such as reckless and negligent driving.
The numbers are horrific. As we noted in December they are indicative of a lack of mutual respect
amongst motorists for their own, and other drivers lives. While this situation needs to change, and
change quickly, it is also incumbent upon the authorities to not only talk about saving lives, but put in
place proper, implementable strategies to deal with this, said the AA.

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About The Automobile Association of South Africa

The Automobile Association (AA) has been the trusted champion of the South African motorist and traveller
for over 85 years. Along with our AA Accredited Sales Agent stores located countrywide, the AA offers
access to over 50 benefits on 1 card as well as other travel and mobility services that extend far beyond
24-hour roadside assistance - from technical and legal advice, to emergency rescue services, roadside
security and a mobile app suite. The AA offers specialised apprenticeships to help motor industry players
build in-house skill, and short skill courses for individuals.
For more information please visit www.aa.co.za or aasa.mobi, or contact:
Automobile Association of South Africa (AA)
AA Public Affairs
011 799 1126 or 083 386 6954
press@aasa.co.za