Poor weather and driving under the influence of alcohol are some of the factors behind recent fatal car crashes, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said on Tuesday.

Spokesperson Simon Zwane told SowetanLIVE that dozens of fatal accidents occur over the weekend.

Zwane said they have seen "a worrying number of fatal accidents in the past couple of days".

"Reckless and inconsiderate driving, overloading of passengers as well as abuse of alcohol are factors behind the high number of fatalities," Zwane said.

He also put the blame on the recent rains which continued for days in several provinces.

"The heavy rainfall over the past few days has also had a contributory effect. We appeal to drivers to reduce speed when driving in wet conditions, to avoid alcohol and ensure that passengers are using safety belts" Zwane said.

He said road safety should always remain every road user's key responsibility.

"Drivers must remember that the road is a shared space and no one can monopolise it," Zwane said.

Some of the fatal crashes include an accident where two men and a woman lost their lives and another man was in a critical condition with two other males have suffering serious injuries in a head-on collision between a VW Polo and a Nissan X-trail on the R53, 10 km from Potchefstroom on Saturday afternoon.

In another separate incident, two men believed to be in their 30s were killed in a head-on vehicle collision with the concrete support pillar of a bridge on the R57 in Vanderbijlpark, south of Johannesburg on Saturday evening.

At about 5am on Saturday, nine people were killed in a horrific crash when a light delivery vehicle overturned along the R573 Road between Kwaggafontein and Moteti.

The driver has since been arrested and is expected to appear in court soon on charges of culpable homicide, drunk driving and reckless and negligent driving.

Meanwhile, the South African Liquor Brandowners Association (Salba) has intensified its support for the road safety initiatives.

The association's focus is on drinking and driving/walking and other harm reduction measures.

Salba chairperson Pamela Nkuna said they would be focusing on five provinces  Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga - which contribute to 80% of road fatalities.

"The industry's consistent and ongoing message has always been to promote the responsible use of alcohol," Nkuna said.

She said it was important to have collaborations with government to promote road safety. 

She said since 2017, the alcohol industry has invested R59m in a collaboration between aware.org and the RTMC which is aimed at tackling the misuse of alcohol by motorists.

"The industry, working with government would continue to encourage people to travel safely during the festive season through this initiative and promote similar collaborations that target crime prevention and the education of young people about the dangers of underage drinking," Nkuna said.