S. Africa sees slight reduction in road accident deaths: minister

South Africa registered 1,118 fatal crashes with 1,368 fatalities in the festive season spanning from Dec. 1, 2014 to Jan. 5, 2015, Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters said on Friday.

It represented a slight reduction of 2.5 percent for fatal crashes and 0.6 percent for fatalities in comparison to the same period in the previous year, Peters said in a report on the latest update on road carnages during the Christmas holiday.

The previous festive season saw 1,147 fatal crashes with 1,376 fatalities.

"Though we half-heartedly acknowledged the decline, we have no cause to celebrate as our people continue to be killed on our roads due to irresponsible and murderous acts of fellow road users, " Peters said.

"These senseless killings could have been avoided if we all behaved as responsible law abiding citizens," the minister said.

Of all the fatalities, passengers made up 39 percent, pedestrians 36 percent, drivers 24 percent and cyclists one percent.

Contributing factors to the fatal crashes included speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, fatigue driving and reckless overtaking.

"We should decisively and uncompromisingly act against lawlessness and irresponsible usage of our roads whilst promoting a culture of good citizenry as a norm rather than an exception," said Peters.

Road carnage is a daily phenomenon, particularly during holidays in South Africa, which is among the countries that have the highest road facilities.

The country has more than 700,000 crashes a year on the average, with three children dying every day in road accidents.

The festive holidays usually have the highest rate of road deaths, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation.

Worldwide, the number of people killed in road traffic crashes each year is estimated at almost 1.2 million, while the number injured could be as high as 50 million. Endi