Government targets 50 percent reduction in road deaths by 2030

The South African government has set a goal to cut road fatalities by 50% by 2030, as announced during Transport Month. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa presented the six priority targets for the next four years, including the reduction in road deaths. Road fatalities decreased by 6.2% in 2025 compared to the previous year, and a further 9% reduction was observed in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period in 2025.

The government has approved the Revised National Road Safety Strategy 2026–2030, which aims to create a "safe system" approach based on the principle that people making mistakes should not result in death or serious injury. The strategy focuses on safer roads and infrastructure, vehicles, speeds, enforcement, and post-crash response.

Legislative amendments are being considered to introduce a zero alcohol limit for drivers, and a national crash data observatory is being developed with artificial intelligence and data analytics. The government is also implementing the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) system phase two, which began on July 1, to improve compliance, accountability, and change road user behavior.

Additionally, the government is working on measures to ease the financial burden on households and improve public transport affordability, including reforming the public transport grant system and bringing private investment into the rail sector.