The final festive season traffic rush happens this weekend as holidaymakers head home before the start of the school year next week.
And the department of transport is holding thumbs that the road death toll will remain lower than last year's.
The death toll for December is lower than for the same period in 2005, but whether the overall toll for the festive season will be lower than the 2005 season remains to be seen.
"Remember that most holidaymakers are coming back this weekend so we are still busy with the compilation of the figures and we are hoping to do the final announcement by Monday," said Department of Transport spokesperson Sam Monareng.
On Wednesday, the department's Arrive Alive campaign and the Road Traffic Management Corporation commended traffic authorities' efforts in helping to prevent an escalation in fatal road accidents.
"This is despite the increase in the number of vehicles to 8,1-million and the increase in the driver population to almost 7,7-million," said Monareng.
He said the death toll on South Africa's roads last month had dropped to 1 366, from 1 454 in December 2005.
Fatalities per province for December were as follows: KwaZulu Natal 299, Gauteng 265, Eastern Cape 166, Mpumalanga 129, Western Cape 121, Free State 117, North West 113, Limpopo 99 and Northern Cape 57.
Fatalities per road user group were: pedestrians 547, passengers 454 and drivers 365.
Monareng said the drop in fatalities could be attributed to tougher law enforcement and general compliance in certain respects.
He said road users needed to realise that crashes did not just happen - they happened because of certain contributory factors.
"These contributory factors are circumstantial elements that are present at the time of the crash and are generally: human, vehicle, roadway and the environment," he said.
Monareng said the first three factors reflected human and authority behaviour, attitude and performance, while the fourth factor, environment, could to an extent be regarded as being beyond the control of the driver or the authorities.
Major traffic offences and contraventions that contributed to traffic crashes over the festive season were: driving while under the influence of alcohol; unsafe and illegal overtaking across barrier lines or in the face of oncoming traffic; ignoring red traffic signals and stop signs; non-wearing of seatbelts; and excessive speed.
He said these factors could be reduced because drivers knew they were risk-takers and that they would exceed the speed limit. They also got behind the wheel of a vehicle when drunk, and deliberately didn't wear a seatbelt.