The City of Cape Town traffic and metro police have revealed a staggering rise in incidents along the highways, with over 7,500 responses recorded by the Traffic Highway Patrol Unit in the past year, reports Cape {town} Etc.
Alarmingly, 70% of these incidents occurred between 2pm and 6am, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance during nighttime travel.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, the City’s Traffic Service responded to 5,392 incidents on Cape Town’s highways. A concerning portion of those incidents were stationary vehicles, which accounted for 50% of the total.
More than 30% involved crashes that entailed vehicles, pedestrians, and even animals, while the remainder included various disturbances such as protest action, crime, fires, and other weather-related impacts.
Rapidly gaining prominence since its inception in November 2022, the Highway Patrol Unit (HPU) has been instrumental in responding to 67% of these incidents, while also facilitating over 400 arrests and logging more than 90,000 offences.
Meanwhile, the Metro Police’s dedicated patrols on the N2 and R300 reported a total of 2,215 incidents, with a staggering 85% attributed to vehicle breakdowns from flat tyres to motorists running out of fuel.
The circumstances surrounding highway safety have drastically shifted over the last decade, notably due to a rise in attacks on motorists, including stoning incidents and criminals obstructing roadways.
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However, thanks to strategic enhancements in proactive patrols and improved coordination of CCTV networks, there has been a noticeable decrease in premeditated attacks. Yet opportunistic criminals remain prevalent, taking advantage of motorists forced to stop for various reasons like picking up passengers, taking calls, or experiencing mechanical failures.
Mayco for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith has expressed his concerns, stating, ‘In the last year, our services responded to an average of 600 incidents a month on the highways. While we strive to respond as quickly as possible, I appeal to road users to make sure they’ve done everything possible to ensure they’re able to keep moving,’
To further bolster safety for those travelling on highways, the City has issued a series of critical safety guidelines:
- Ensure your vehicle is mechanically sound at all times.
- Keep the necessary tools and a spare tyre handy in case of a puncture or blowout.
- Allocate extra time to check tyres and fuel levels at a garage before hitting the road.
- Keep your cellphone charged and have a car charger available, making sure you have airtime to call for assistance.
- Inform someone close to you regarding your exact route and departure time.
- Share your live location with a trusted friend or family member.
- Save the Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) number 021 480 7700 on your phone for emergencies.
- Report anything suspicious or out of place along your route, including abandoned vehicles.
- Avoid stopping along the highway to drop off or pick up passengers, or simply to take a call.
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Picture: City of Cape Town
Source: City of Cape Town
