The recent death of a cyclist in Cape Town after being struck by a drunk driver has put the spotlight on road safety for cyclists.
Data from the City’s Urban Mobility Directorate raises urgent questions about how vulnerable cyclists really are on the city’s roads.
According to the latest Traffic Crash Report, released this week, cyclists account for a small but significant share of road deaths recorded between 2021 and 2024.
Over the four-year period, 1% of all road fatalities involved cyclists. While that percentage may appear low, it translates to around 30 cyclist deaths out of the 3 007 people killed in traffic crashes across the metro.
The report analyses data from 79 SAPS stations and traffic centres in Cape Town. It paints a sobering picture of daily life on the city’s roads: one person dies every 11 hours and 40 minutes, with an average of 181 crashes reported every day.
Traffic Crash Report: Accidents by numbers
Perhaps the most alarming stat from the study involves pedestrians, who remain by far the most at risk, making up 68% of all fatalities.
This is followed by drivers (14%), passengers (12%), motorcyclists (5%) and cyclists (1%).
While cyclists represent the smallest group statistically, road safety advocates argue that the figures mask the severity of crashes involving bicycles, where riders have little protection against fast-moving vehicles.
Year-on-year, road deaths remained stubbornly high. In 2021, 739 people were killed; this rose to 779 in 2022 and 785 in 2023, before dropping slightly to 704 in 2024.
Over the same period, more than 49 000 people were injured in crashes.
Men accounted for 76% of fatalities, while 24% were women. More than 3 100 children aged between one and 14 were involved in crashes. Fridays were identified as the most dangerous day on the roads, with peak crash times during the morning and evening rush hours.
The economic impact is equally alarming, with crashes costing the City over R7 billion in 2024 alone.
“It is absolutely shocking to see how many people are killed and injured on our roads every day,” said Rob Quintas, the City’s Mayco Member for Urban Mobility.
“The vast majority are pedestrians, who are especially vulnerable in an environment where drivers often speed or ignore red traffic signals.”
“As people gather with friends and family this festive season, I want to remind all drivers that lives can be saved by following the rules of the road.”
