South Africa sees major drop in pedestrian deaths as 286 lives saved in five months

A Police golf cart (or security carts) which is a specialised low-speed vehicles (LSVs) used by law enforcement for patrolling pedestrian-heavy areas at Durban Golden Mile.

Pedestrian deaths on South African roads have dropped by 13 percent this year, compared to the same period this year.

According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), the number of pedestrian fatalities in the period January to May has dropped from 2,214 last year to 1,928 compared to the same period this year.

This is 286 lives saved or 13 percent reduction in pedestrian fatalities.

"In May, the country also experienced the third lowest month-to-month decrease in pedestrian fatalities in five months. The number of pedestrians who died in May was 358 compared to 390 in April. All provinces recorded a decrease in pedestrian fatalities between April and May, except the Free State, Limpopo and the Western Cape. However, relative to the total number of road fatalities, pedestrians still contribute the highest portion. The overall percentage of pedestrian fatalities for the first five months of the year is 44% compared to 46% last year," said the RTMC.