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FILE | An accident scene in KZN
South Africa has been ranked as the world’s most dangerous country to drive in.
This is according to a report named “The World’s Safest Roads”, that was compiled by an online driver education platform, Zutobi.
It is the second year in a row the country has received this ranking, with the statistics highlighting areas for improvement in road safety and driver behaviour.
In “The World’s Safest Roads” report, South Africa experiences 24.5 road traffic deaths per 100 000 people, a statistic that is higher than last year.
Despite the low motorway speed limit of 120 km/h, similarly to the safest country on the list, Norway, it struggles with low seat belt usage, with only 31% of front seat passengers wearing their seatbelts.
Other countries that are deemed dangerous include Thailand and the United States, whereas the aforementioned Norway, Iceland and Japan are ranked the safest.
In December last year, during the launch of the Safer Festive Season campaign, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said alcohol and speeding are the main contributors to road deaths.
