South Africa's holiday roads are busy, fatigued and unforgiving. The government's safer-season campaign typically runs from early December to mid-January, with heavier policing on high-risk routes. Yet fatalities continue to spike. In December 2024, the Transport Ministry reported 512 deaths in the first two weeks alone, with pedestrians accounting for nearly half.

The pattern repeats each year, with long trips, speeding, alcohol use, driver distraction and poorly maintained vehicles remaining the main culprits.

To discuss this further, we are now joined on the line by the Chief Executive Officer of the online car advertising platform ChangeCars and Stuurwiel, Michael Pashut.