The 2025 Easter Weekend road safety report was released by the Transport Minister Barbara Creecy on Tuesday (29/4) in Pretoria.

The North West reported 14 fatalities, the Free State reported seven fatalities, and the Northern Cape reported six fatalities.

“Easter 2025 had the lowest number of crashes and fatalities we have seen for the last three years,” said Creecy. “All provinces recorded decreases [in this period] except for the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, which both recorded an increase.”

“Crashes were reduced from 209 in 2024 to 141 in 2025, which is a 32.5 percent overall decrease compared to 2024. Fatalities were reduced from 307 in 2024 to 167 in 2025, which is a 45.6% decrease.”

The Easter campaign, which was launched on Thursday, 20 March, will continue till Sunday (4/5) because of the four long weekends that are during this period.

In 2024, the Free State reported twelve fatalities, the Northern Cape reported 17 fatalities, and the North West reported 21 fatalities.

The Free State launched its 2025 Free State Easter Road Safety Campaign on Friday, 11 April, along the N1 in Kroonstad.

“The Easter weekend statistics are reflective of a broader downward trend in road accidents and accident-related fatalities, said Creecy. These statistics tell us that there is a benefit when we start our communication and education campaign earlier than the travel period.”

In the January to March period specifically, we have seen a 16% decline in the number of fatalities; they decreased in seven provinces except Free State, which had a 5% increase, she said.

Minister Creecy expressed shock at the number of pedestrian fatalities that currently make up 47%, or nearly half, of all traffic fatalities. “This shocking reality indicates that our message to pedestrians is not reaching home, and we have to do much more work at a local level where these accidents occur.”

The Department of Transport aims to meet its target to reduce crashes and fatalities by at least 50% by 2029.

OFM News/Zenande Mpame