Global Road Safety Week: Small driving decisions can save lives, says Old Mutual

South Africa’s road users showed encouraging signs of progress towards making our roads safer over the recent Easter period, with the Department of Transport reporting a decline in fatalities compared to the same period last year. At the start of the long weekend, 291 road deaths had been recorded, down from 356 in 2025, representing an 18% decrease.

The Easter weekend road statistics offer hope that positive behaviour change is possible. As South Africa prepares to mark Global Road Safety Week, the challenge now is maintaining that momentum long after the holiday season ends.

According to Molebatsi Langa, every reduction in road fatalities represents families spared from unimaginable loss and communities strengthened through safer roads.

“Road safety is not only a holiday conversation. It is something we must commit to every single day. The encouraging reduction in fatalities over Easter shows that when South Africans make conscious decisions to drive responsibly, lives are saved,” says Langa.

She adds that road safety is often shaped by the small decisions drivers make before and during every journey.

As the world prepares to mark the 8th UN Global Road Safety Week from 12 to 18 May 2026, the message could not be more relevant for South Africans. The global campaign focuses on the safety of all road users, including pedestrians, motorists and cyclists, but at its core is a broader call for every person on the road to make safer choices and help protect lives.

“Many accidents can be prevented through preparation and patience. Checking your tyres, ensuring your windscreen is in good condition, slowing down in wet weather, and maintaining a safe following distance may seem like simple actions, but they can make the difference between arriving safely and tragedy,” Langa says.

With several parts of the country entering colder and wetter conditions, vehicle maintenance becomes even more important. Worn tyres reduce grip on slippery roads and increase stopping distances, while small windscreen chips can quickly spread into larger cracks that compromise visibility and become more expensive to repair.

Langa asserts that preventative maintenance is one of the most effective forms of protection motorists can invest in.

“A vehicle speaks long before it fails. Small warning signs should never be ignored. Replacing worn tyres or repairing a chipped windscreen early is not only financially smarter, but also a critical step in protecting yourself, your passengers, and other road users,” Langa says.

Patience also remains one of the most powerful safety tools available to drivers. In fast moving traffic, frustration and impatience often lead to reckless overtaking, speeding, and poor judgement.

“Sometimes it only takes three seconds of slowing down to avoid danger and save a life. Those few seconds can protect a family, prevent an injury, and change the outcome of an entire journey. We need to normalise patience and courtesy on our roads,” says Langa.

She believes the recent decline in fatalities should encourage South Africans to continue building a stronger road safety culture rather than becoming complacent.

“We should celebrate progress, but we must also protect it. Every responsible choice contributes to safer roads for everyone. The real success will come when safer driving becomes part of our everyday behaviour and not only something we think about during holidays or awareness campaigns”.

As Road Safety Week approaches, motorists are encouraged to focus on practical habits that improve safety for everyone on the road:

• Check tyre condition and tread depth regularly, especially before long trips or rainy weather.
• Repair windscreen chips immediately before they spread into larger cracks.
• Maintain a safe following distance to allow enough time to react to sudden stops or hazards.
• Reduce speed during rain or poor visibility conditions.
• Avoid distractions and remain fully focused while driving.
• Exercise patience and resist the urge to rush or drive aggressively.

Langa says safer roads require collective responsibility from motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, businesses, and communities alike.

“Every life matters. The progress we have seen proves that safer roads are possible when people work together and choose responsibility over recklessness. If we continue building on this momentum, we can create a future where far fewer families experience the pain of losing loved ones on our roads,” she says.