A human face behind every road death statistic
Fatalities across the country in Easter weekend crashes
Speeding and unroadworthy vehicles were again blamed for road accidents that resulted in a number of people dying.
This was revealed as authorities said they were still busy counting how many people were killed on the country’s roads over Easter weekend.
At least 10 people died in a fatal accident on the KwaZuluNatal yesterday.
KZN Emergency Rescue Services spokesman Rob McKenzie confirmed that two minibuses were involved in the accident‚ which took place on the N2 at Umumbe‚ near Port Shepstone‚ on the South Coast.
Three of the dead are children. Nine others are injured‚ one critically. They were taken to hospital in Port Shepstone.
The accident comes three days after 14 people died in an bus accident in the province.
Eight people died on Sunday after an Opel Corsa crashed into a passenger bus on the N7 outside Klawer.
Western Cape traffic head Kenny Africa said the Corsa was believed to have overtaken vehicles into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with the bus. “All eight occupants of the Corsa died on the scene.”
Four pedestrians were killed in various parts of Limpopo.
Limpopo transport department spokesman Joshua Kwapa said they were gravely concerned by the increasing number of pedestrians killed on the roads.
“One of the accidents happened on the N1 highway just outside Polokwane. We have been condemning people from walking on the highway, but it appears the message is not being adhered to.”
Kwapa said preliminary accident reports have indicated only 10 motorists were killed in road collisions.
“There has been a decrease of road accidents compared to last year Easter,” he said.
At least nine people were killed and 29 injured in road accidents in the North West.
In Mpumalanga, three people were killed and four were injured in a head-on collision in Bethal on Sunday morning.
Gauteng traffic police spokeswoman Busaphi Nxumalo said 64 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesman Simon Zwane said 843 motorists were driving without driver’s licences and 380 did not have public driving permits.
“Speeding and overloading were the other leading offences. A total of 1 730 motorists were caught speeding, while 354 received fines for overloading of goods.”
An exact figure of fatalities would be released tomorrow.