More than 1,000 people have died in road accidents in South Africa in December, officials said Thursday.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation warned that the total for the festive month could top 1,100, in the country of 49 million people.
Many of the crashes, often head-on collisions, were caused by reckless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol, Transport Minister Dikobe Ben Martins told the Citizen newspaper.
Some 1,771 people died in road accidents between December 1, 2011, and January 10.
Police have increased efforts in recent months to crack down on drunk driving.