Smashes down to drink, speed, weather
DESPITE several preventative measures put in place to ensure the safety of motorists over the festive season, there has been carnage on our roads.
Emergency Medical Services said that they’ve had a busy week, with the loss of at least four lives in accidents.
The Department of Transport said yesterday it had prepared for the festive season by targeting major accident hotspots in the province, including highways and national roads, for stepped-up surveillance. Police visibility had been increased and more roadblocks were being set up, even in residential areas.
Christmas Day saw several accidents in the province.
KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services spokesman Robert McKenzie said the busy roads and wet weather had contributed to the carnage. “We have attended to multiple incidents throughout the province. Motorists are warned to please exercise caution and to avoid drinking and driving. We will remain on high alert during the coming week.”
But ER24 spokesman Russel Meiring said that it was a relatively quiet Christmas for the ER24 team. “We haven’t attended to any major accidents on KwaZulu-Natal roads. During the course of the week, however, there were several accidents due to heavy traffic and many people driving into the province. At most accident scenes we found the accidents were caused by driver error, excessive speeding and in some case, drinking and driving,” said Meiring.
A woman was killed and 17 others injured on Tuesday after a taxi rolled down an embankment off Edendale Road in Pietermaritzburg.
On Wednesday, a six-yearold boy was killed and three others injured in a three-vehi- cle collision on the N3 between Mooi River and Howick.
On Thursday, a bus and taxi crash claimed three lives and left 16 others injured on the R16 between Kokstad and Underberg.
On Christmas Day, a collision on the Middelrus road, near Mooi River, involving a light motor vehicle claimed the lives of three people.
The Department of Transport said they have fined more than 4 000 people since the start of December for not wearing seatbelts.
Spokesman Kwanele Ncalane said 257 people had been arrested for drunken driving since the beginning of December and stats for this week have not yet been released.
“Drinking and driving… is causes most of the accidents. We are happy to note there hasn’t been any major accidents on our roads this week which resulted in a lot of fatalities. This year has been better,” he said.