The cost of road crashes affects South African GDP

Ben Martins, the South African transport minister, has revealed that road accidents are costing his country 34 billion USD annually. This amount accounts for 10% of GDP, squandered over medical costs, social costs and productivity losses. Using a different method, Automobilists Association (AA) report a figure of 5% of GDP swallowed up by these claims. Both estimates are well above the average value in force in developed countries, which is 2%.
Nearly 11 000 people die each year on South African roads. Approximately 40% of them are pedestrians, often drunk, moving on the road. Speeding also accounts for a large number of accidents. The State hopes to halve the number of deaths by 2020 by increasing repression.