Jan 19, 2026 Julian Pillay, Vehicle Testing Association (VTA), RMI, 2025/26 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign
Festive season road safety gains welcomed, but vehicle fitness remains a critical blind spot
The Vehicle Testing Association (VTA), has welcomed the reported five percent reduction in festive season road fatalities and crashes announced yesterday, but warns that the continued loss of more than 1 400 lives in just over a month underscores a road safety crisis that demands far stronger preventative interventions.
Preliminary data from the 2025/26 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign shows 1 427 fatalities from 1 172 crashes between 1 December 2025 and 11 January 2026 - the lowest number of crashes recorded in five years. While this represents progress, the concentration of crashes during peak festive periods and the continued loss of life highlight the need for a more holistic approach to road safety.
According to Julian Pillay, National Director of VTA, improved enforcement and awareness campaigns are important, but they cannot succeed in isolation.
“Road safety cannot rely solely on driver behaviour interventions - vehicle fitness must form part of the solution.” Of particular concern is the data showing that small motor vehicles accounted for approximately 55% of all crashes during the festive season. These vehicles currently fall outside South Africa’s periodic roadworthiness testing regime.
“Smaller vehicles represent the majority of vehicles on our roads, yet they are not subject to regular/periodic roadworthiness testing. Without comprehensive accident investigations, it is impossible to determine how many of these vehicles may have been mechanically unroadworthy at the time of a crash,” Pillay said. He noted that even in incidents where driver impairment, including alcohol use, is present, vehicle condition can significantly influence crash severity and survivability. “Mechanical failures caused by worn tyres, faulty brakes, suspension defects or lighting issues can turn an otherwise avoidable incident into a fatal one. Periodic Vehicle Testing is not about blame; it is about prevention.”
The festive season statistics also revealed that more than 40% of crashes and fatalities occurred between 15 and 28 December, often after travellers had reached their destinations and were engaging in social activities, further reinforcing the need for preventative measures that extend beyond enforcement alone.
The RMI, together with VTA, continues to advocate for the phased introduction of Periodic Vehicle Testing for all vehicles, aligned with international best practice, as a complementary road safety intervention that supports, rather than replaces, existing enforcement and education efforts.
The RMI looks forward to ongoing, constructive engagement with the Department of Transport and relevant stakeholders to collaboratively strengthen road safety outcomes, including meaningful discussions around the role of Periodic Vehicle Testing as part of a comprehensive national road safety strategy. “If we are serious about reducing fatalities in a sustained and meaningful way, we must address the condition of the vehicles sharing our roads every day. Periodic testing provides an objective, preventative safeguard that protects all road users,” Pillay concludes.
VTA is a constituent association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI).
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