Transport minister Fikile Mbalula is calling on motorists across SA to join a ‘Hoot for Life’ Arrive Alive road safety campaign.

He is urging all road users to hoot their vehicle horns at 12 noon every day from December 17 to 31.

By hooting at midday, South Africans will show their support for road safety initiatives and encourage responsible driving, says Mbalula.

“At 12 o’clock every day, hoot for life, reminding yourself that you have a responsibility to your life. You don’t need a policeman to remind you that you must live,” Mbalula said at the launch of the initiative on Thursday December 17 at Soweto’s Maponya Mall.

The minister led a Road Safety Awareness Campaign from Soweto to Soshanguve on an open bus in Gauteng, joined by the provincial and metro police law enforcement officers.

This campaign forms part of the intensified 365 Days Arrive Alive 24/7 Waya-Waya national road safety campaign. The main pillars of the campaign for the festive season period are: no drinking and driving, always buckle up, opt for daytime driving, ensure vehicle roadworthiness, and pedestrian visibility.

In January, when announcing that road deaths during the 2019 festive season had reduced by 10% over the previous year, Mbalula said the carnage on our roads remains unacceptably high. The number of people who lose life and limb on our roads is alarming and the annual cost to the economy is in excess of R168bn, he said. This reality had spurred his department to reimagine safety on SA’s roads, including the launch of a 365-day action agenda in October 2019, which executed a more high-profile Arrive Alive campaign.

During last year’s festive season, roadblocks conducted nationwide increased from 775 to 1,924 and the number of vehicles stopped and checked increased from 1.3 million to 1.5 million compared to the year before.

Pedestrians continued to top the list at 40% of road deaths, followed by passengers (34%), drivers (25%) and cyclists (1%), said Mbalula.

“I want to give a stern warning to those who undermine the law, we have an appointment with you. You will be arrested, and you will not be released,” he said on Thursday.