Road accidents impact financially on government and society: Transport minister

Those are the remarks of Transport Minister Elizabeth Dipuo Peters - who's been speaking at the 3rd annual National Road Safety Summit in Durban, today.

The two-day summit - hosted by the KZN transport department - is aimed at reducing the number of fatalities on the country's roads.

The minister has called upon stakeholders to contribute to the implementation of strategies to reduce road deaths. 

Recent statistics show that over one million people are killed in crashes globally every year.

Dipuo Peters says that the financial burden of road crashes on the State and individuals - is staggering.

"The cost that we spent in rehabilitating those who  were injured, the costs spent in burying the dead, but also making it possible that through social development, we can continuously follow and provide loss of income or income support through the social security interventions. So there's a huge cost that road crashes is putting to us - as human beings, and society," she said.

Meanwhile, KZN transport MEC, Mxolisi Kaunda, says most accidents are a result of human area.

Speaking at a World Day of Remembrance for Road Accident Victims yesterday, the MEC said more education was needed to ensure that all drivers and motorists adhered to the rules of the road.

"If you don't drive cautiously you will be causing accidents in this country which robs us of many people who are breadwinners, people who would have contributed immensely in terms of economic development and socio-economic conditions of our people," he said.