Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Road death toll up by 4%
Expected to be higher than 2016 – authorities
THE EDITORS AND STAFF OF WEEKEND ARGUS WISH ALL OUR READERS A BLESSED CHRISTMAS THERE IS NO SUNDAY EDITION TOMORROW OUR NEXT HOLIDAY EDITION WILL BE PUBLISHED ON DECEMBER 30 THE Western Cape’s festive season road death toll is on course to be higher than last year as fatalities already reflect a 4% increase.
Authorities are worried the number will continue to rise as we head into the Christmas long weekend, as well as New Years as driver attitude and alcohol are the biggest contributors to fatalities.
This week, 14 people died in crashes, mostly along the N1. By yesterday afternoon, the death toll stood at 97 people, of which 47 were pedestrians.
Traffic chief Kenny Africa said compared with last year the figure had increased by 4%.
“We are really concerned by the fatality r ates recorded up until December 20 and 88% of all our fatalities are caused by human behaviour. The figures have gone up by nearly 4%.
“We are pleading with motorists throughout the festive season to change their attitude and behaviour, to be more respectful on our roads.
“We are working around the clock, our officers are out there,. We are arresting drunken drivers and reckless and negligent drivers. But when it comes to human behaviour, the fact is people don’t want to stop after driving 200km or two hours when they are on the roads, especially on long distance trips. That is the golden rule.
“Also overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic, you cannot overtake when you can clearly see that you will not make it and if people are not going to stop that, we are going to sit with problems.
“Like the accident we had on Tuesday, where a vehicle overtook in the face of oncoming traffic and the driver and his passenger died. In the other vehicle, innocent visitors to our province, a mom and her 8-year-old child, were killed.
“From (yesterday) we are going into an extra-long weekend, almost five days. It is going to be a long weekend.
“People need to listen to our pleas, not to do stupid things out there; we need to stop this nonsense. People cannot go out and kill innocent people on the road by doing stupid things and the more we ask and plead, the more they do stupid things.”
The City of Cape Town says it is gearing up to be out in full force this weekend and the next as they expect an influx of visitors around the province’s beaches and roads.
A warning has been issued to beachgoers that anyone found with alcohol will be fined and their beverages confiscated. To date, 4 314 bottles of alcohol have been confiscated since December 1.
In terms of Operation Exodus, which checks vehicles for roadworthiness, the city said 1 114 vehicles had undergone checks before departing on long-distance trips, of which 81% were cleared for travel.
Around 28 863 transgressions were caught, the majority for speeding, along with 3 190 unlicensed drivers.
Transport and Public Works MEC Donald Grant said more needed to be done regarding the law to ensure that motorists get penalised for causing fatal accidents.
“My biggest concern is driver awareness and the attitude of drivers on the road.
“The biggest contributory factors to road deaths are still speed, as well as alcohol which plays a big role in motor vehicle as, well as pedestrian-related deaths. Up to 70% of all drivers who die on the road and are tested come back positive for ethanol; for pedestrians it is up to 60%,” he said.
“As far as the drivers are concerned, we need to look at the law to ensure that there are more consequences for those who are involved in accidents and where it is found that they were negligent.
“I spoke to the national minister of transport about taking licences away in some instances. I have asked Chief Africa to be on the lookout for cases we can make an example of this festive season.
“I am not so worried about this weekend but it is the Christmas Day festivities. It’s New Year’s as well as pay days where we will see an increase in fatalities, that include the exodus back leading up to schools reopening.
“The situation will only normalise mid-January.”