This as the holiday season is nearing the end and traffic volumes are expected to surge from today till next weekend.  Estimates suggest that over 13 million registered vehicles hit the roads during this festive season leading to peak congestion, particularly in the provinces of Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, with millions using major routes such as the N3.

RTMC Spokesperson, Simon Zwane says alcohol abuse is a major contributing factor to the death toll with many crashes involving drunk drivers, hit and run accidents and intoxicated pedestrians. Zwane has urged motorists to reduce speed when driving in rainy conditions, increase the following distance and leave a safe following distance.

“As the holidays come to end traffic is expected to increase phenomenally this weekend and into the next weekend as many people will be returning to their cities to begin work and the end of school holidays. Motorists are advised to avoid travelling at night and early hours of the morning as these times have been shown to be high risk for crashes and fatalities,” he said.