Polokwane. The Limpopo government has taken delivery of a digital dashboard developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) that maps road incidents across the province to help reduce traffic deaths during high‑volume periods.
Tool used during Easter Weekend to direct resources
The dashboard, handed over to the province in September, was already employed by officials while still in development during the Easter Weekend 2026, a period that saw Limpopo record the highest share of national road fatalities for that holiday.
According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Limpopo accounted for 17.62% of South Africa's road deaths over the Easter Weekend, with 37 traffic‑related fatalities. The province recorded 29 fatal crashes in 2026 — up from 12 in 2025, an increase of 141.67% year‑on‑year.
What the dashboard does
The CSIR platform compiles and spatialises multiple data streams so authorities can see where crashes, pedestrian strikes, speeding and taxi movement patterns are concentrated. Provincial planners say the information has been used to implement weekly operational changes, including how and where to deploy traffic officers and emergency response resources.
- Tracks crashes and fatal incidents by location and time.
- Maps pedestrian incidents and hotspots.
- Displays taxi and traffic flow patterns to identify congestion points.
- Generates heatmaps to prioritise resource allocation.
The CSIR said the system allows authorities to analyse their existing datasets in a more spatially informed way, improving decisions on deployment during peak travel.
High‑risk period linked to annual pilgrimage
Traffic volumes in Limpopo increase substantially during the Easter period because of the annual pilgrimage by millions of members of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) to Zion City Moria, about 25km outside Polokwane. The tradition has taken place since the 1940s and draws heavy flows along the main arteries leading into the province.
During Easter Weekend 2026, pedestrian fatalities were especially high nationally: the RTMC reported that 48.57% of all road deaths that weekend were pedestrians struck while on foot, with 102 pedestrian fatalities across the country.
Officials hope data will change outcomes
Provincial transport and safety planners have used the dashboard to identify where extra patrols, road signage and emergency services should be concentrated during the pilgrimage and other peak times. The data‑led approach aims to reduce avoidable deaths by targeting both road user behaviour and infrastructure pressure points.
Local emergency services and traffic management agencies can now tailor interventions each week based on recent incident clusters rather than only relying on historical averages, a change officials say improves responsiveness.
Numbers at a glance
| Measure | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Fatal crashes in Limpopo (Easter Weekend) | 12 | 29 |
| Road‑related fatalities in Limpopo (Easter Weekend) | — | 37 |
| Share of national Easter Weekend fatalities | — | 17.62% |
These figures are drawn from the RTMC's Easter Weekend 2026 statistics and CSIR reporting on the dashboard handover.
What this means for motorists and pedestrians
Officials stressed that the dashboard is a decision‑support tool — it identifies hotspots and trends but does not replace on‑the‑ground enforcement or public safety campaigns. Community leaders and road users are being urged to cooperate with traffic authorities, observe speed limits and make use of pedestrian crossings where provided.
For families travelling to Zion City Moria and other events, the dashboard's rollout aims to make responses faster when incidents occur and to direct visible policing and emergency medical services where they are most needed.
The CSIR's handover of the dashboard to Limpopo represents an attempt to use technology and evidence to lessen the province's disproportionate burden of road deaths during predictable high‑traffic periods, according to the organisations involved.
Reported by the CSIR and the RTMC; statistics referenced from RTMC Easter Weekend 2026 data.
