Holiday road death toll could still increase

CARNAGE on South Africa’s roads over the festive season saw the number of people killed rise to 1 714‚ but some experts are warning the figure might increase by as much as 30% after the 30-day monitoring period.

Transport Minister Dipuo Peters yesterday released the figures for road deaths over the festive period‚ which she said indicated a 5% increase from the previous year’s 1 629 deaths on the roads.

The minister said 432 roadblocks were conducted over the festive season‚ which saw more than 450 000 fines issued for a range of offences including reckless and negligent driving‚ talking on cellphones and unroadworthy vehicles.

Further‚ more than 9 000 people were arrested‚ with 18 people held for driving in excess of 181km/h.

The highest recorded speed was 239km/h on the R21 in Gauteng.

Peters congratulated the Eastern Cape‚ Western Cape‚ Northern Cape and North West as the provinces which showed a decrease in road fatalities.

“It can be done and we can win this battle‚” she said.

Peters said more needed to be done to improve driver attitudes and educate drivers‚ passengers and pedestrians.

“The challenge we are facing is that people just don’t want to change their attitudes on the roads‚” she said. “Stop trying to impress your friends . . .”

Peters said 75% of people who died on the roads were men‚ with most accidents involving only one car.

“The fact that an overwhelming majority of fatal crashes were as a result of a single motor vehicle overturning‚ and head-on collisions‚ points to the incompetence of our drivers to handle their vehicles.”

To address driver incompetence‚ the minister said that by the end of this year the demerit system would be introduced, as well as an audit conducted on all drivers’ and learners’ licences.

“If you got your learner’s or driver’s licence through dubious means‚ know that you will soon lose it‚” Peters said.

However‚ Justice Project South Africa chairman Howard Dembovsky said: “They have been saying the same thing for years. I would be very surprised if the demerit system was introduced by the end of the year.”

He said law enforcement and discipline were major problems.

Dembovsky and the Automobile Association’s Layton Beard also warned that the 1 714 might still be adjusted after a 30-day monitoring period‚ and could be as much as 30% higher.

“It just shows how worthless these things are. You need to gather and report these statistics in line with the World Health Organisation’s guidelines and those are that you must monitor for 30 days after the crash‚” Dembovsky said.

“This is very difficult to get across to people. When they talk about the 1 714 road deaths‚ these are people who died immediately at the crash scene‚” he said.

Beard said: “The numbers are horrific . . . they are indicative of a lack of mutual respect among motorists for their own and other drivers’ lives.

“While this situation needs to change‚ and change quickly‚ it is also incumbent upon the authorities to not only talk about saving lives‚ but put in place proper‚ implementable strategies to deal with this.

“What is particularly dismaying is the steep increase in the number of passengers who died. Passengers accounted for 40% of deaths this year‚ along with 34% pedestrians‚ and 24% drivers‚” he said.