With the country already sitting on the edge and preparing to go on holiday next week, holidaymakers are being advised to remember that festive travelling is synonymous with accidents and death.
According to statistics from last year, 1 451 people died on the roads, with the most of them having been recorded during the weeks of December 15 to 21 and 22 to 28.
The main causes of the road fatalities were jaywalking, speeding on wet and slippery roads, overtaking across barrier lines and poor visibility, the police and road safety agents said, as they called again for enhanced care this year.
“There were, in addition to road fatalities, high accident numbers, hijackings, drunkenness… and these are just the reported ones.
“This is in addition to motorists falling victim to road crimes like spikes, rocks and other heavy objects being thrown on the road to slow people down with the objective of robbing - and killing them in instances,” said paramedic company official Willem Langenberg.
Then there were jaywalkers, who crossed even on freeways during the day and night, “more often than not drunk and unable to rationally think of the danger they were putting themselves and others in,” he added.
He said the three long weekends of this festive season gave them palpitations as they geared up for possible carnage. “No matter how prepared we might be as a sector, the actual accidents and deaths is nothing we look forward to,” Langenberg said.
And as the country gears up for the first long weekend next week, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) also called on both freight and public transport operators to ensure their drivers were fit and healthy to be on the road.
Calling on motorists to ensure vehicles were roadworthy and fit to be on the road, they said: “Tyre bursts and slippery wet surfaces account for 2.5% and 2.4% respectively as contributory factors to fatal road collisions, thus highlighting the importance of having properly functioning brakes and tyres in vehicles.”
The RTMC said rainfall had been predicted on some of the travelling days, making it important to fit proper wipers and functioning lights to ensure visibility on the road. “Drivers should opt to travel during the day instead of at night where possible, as visibility is drastically reduced when it’s dark.”
“This is also an opportune time for all motorists to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy and comply with relevant legislation. Vehicle licence discs must be renewed and defects such as cracked windows, worn out wipers, smooth tyres and brakes must be fixed.”
Ensuring that everyone who took the wheel was fit and ready, the RTMC said they had noted that chronic lifestyle diseases were reportedly on the increase. “And so it is pivotal for freight and public transport operators to ensure that their drivers are allowed to undergo medical tests, and those on treatment receive their medication before embarking on long distance travel.”
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) said the current state of road safety in South Africa was a catastrophe, with grave implications for the social, economic, and health future of the country. “The high number of road deaths and injuries is a national crisis that not only needs more awareness, but also immediate action.”
Andrea van Heerden, OUTA’s senior legal project manager, said considering that road safety was an imperative, it remained important to acknowledge that at the centre of it all were people. “The carnage on our roads is caused by human, vehicle and road factors,” he said.
Pretoria News