Reckless passing ends in crash, killing 8
EIGHT people travelling in an Opel Corsa bakkie were killed in a gruesome collision with a passenger bus on the N7 near Klawer at the weekend.
According to provincial traffic officials, the Corsa overtook vehicles in the face of oncoming traffic and collided head-on with the passenger bus on Sunday.
All eight were declared dead on the scene. The incident was one of several road accidents which led to the death of 22 people in the Western Cape over the Easter weekend.
The weekend started with six people being killed in separate accidents between Friday and Saturday on the province’s roads.
Three people were killed and about 35 others injured yesterday after two minibus taxis collided on the N3 in Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal.
Paramedics say one of the taxis was found upright while the other was lying on its side in the road.
The bodies of a woman and two men were found on the scene. One of the men was found lying beneath the overturned vehicle.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) yesterday said it had issued 20 000 fines for various traffic offences across the country over Easter.
A 43-year-old taxi driver is expected to appear in court after he was arrested on the N4 outside Pretoria while transporting 30 passengers in a 15-seater Toyota Quantum, while under the influence of alcohol.
In a statement, the RTMC said reports showed that more than 800 drivers were arrested in cars that were stopped and checked for various offences including drunk driving, speeding as well as reckless and negligent driving.
About 500 vehicles were impounded for operating without public transport permits or operating on the wrong routes.
“An analysis of law-enforcement statistics shows that speeding, overloading of goods and driving without driver’s licences or public driver’s permits were major offences during this period,” the RTMC said.
The corporation added: “A total of 4 605 drivers were caught for speeding, 430 for overloading and 1 907 for driving without drivers’ licences and public drivers’ permits.”
The RTMC said unroadworthy vehicles were another key factor in road safety.
As many as 1 000 fines were issued for vehicles with smooth tyres and 845 for faulty lights.
The corporation said law-enforcement operations would remain in place until all travellers had reached their homes safely ahead of the reopening of the schools.