Pedestrian deaths shock
268 in W Cape in mere months
MORE than 200 pedestrians have been killed on the Western Cape’s roads within five months – a figure which provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said was unacceptable.
Pedestrians and driver fatigue were the biggest problems on roads and major efforts were being made to change that, Africa said, after a pedestrian casualty on Hospital Bend yesterday morning.
“We are struggling to understand why people risk their lives by crossing freeways, where cars are in full speed. Last weekend three pedestrians were killed on freeways. Plus-minus 18 000 people cross freeways on a daily basis which is unlawful,” he said.
“We have introduced a new system, RBT (Random Breath Testing) for the first time in South Africa and saw the fruitful results in the Overberg where it was launched, and we are hoping to extend it to the rest of the province.”
Statistics released by Siphesihle Dube, spokesperson for Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant, showed that since January, 268 pedestrians were killed out of a total of 559 road deaths, which constitutes 48% of such fatalities.
Yesterday at 8am a 43-year-old woman was fatally injured on the M3 just after Hospital Bend.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said a culpable homicide case was opened, but no one had been arrested.
The City of Cape Town’s traffic department also has an ongoing pedestrian awareness initiative that started in February and is aiming at educating more people about pedestrian safety.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security and social services JP Smith said pedestrians were gambling with their lives as some crossed while they were drunk and wove between cars.
“We have embarked on expensive awareness training where we educate people about the illegal crossings that endanger their lives. We have pedestrian enforcement and give fines to those who don’t abide by the rules. We teach children from primary schools about the road rules, but they see adults who weave and run between the five busy northbound lanes, and so they do the same.
“The N2 has a major pedestrian bridge, but you find that people cross under it. That is why locations like Jakes Gerwel Drive have high fatalities for pedestrians. “People must change their behaviours, it is unacceptable.”