All South Africans are responsible for road safety

“WE ARE still a long way from where we want to be,” said Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. “We must not claim easy victories.”

Those mourning the 235 people who died on our roads over the four days of Easter would not consider this a victory, easy or otherwise.

The minister was delivering preliminary figures on Thursday, saying 189 crashes resulted in 235 fatalities across the country.

KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest figures at 42 crashes and 54 fatalities, with Gauteng second at 30 and 36 fatalities, and the Western Cape 24 and 26 fatalities.

There were 22 crashes and 27 fatalities in the Eastern Cape; Free State had eight crashes and 13 fatalities, the Northern Cape numbers were six crashes and seven deaths; North West had 15 crashes and 20 deaths, and Mpumalanga recorded 15 crashes and 18 fatalities.

The comparison was made with 2019 figures (193 crashes and 260 deaths) because last Easter we were in hard lockdown.

Mbalula again suggested more laws and the introduction of body cameras. He also attributed the decline to increased work from law enforcement.

But it’s time South Africans stepped up to the plate and took personal responsibility, not only for their own safety, but for their fellow citizens too.

There were still 483 drivers who thought it was acceptable to drive drunk; 112 who ignored the speed limit and 28 were arrested for reckless driving.

When are we as a nation going to start understanding that road deaths can happen to you, not just “other people”? That when we break the laws and regulations put in place for our own well-being, we could be responsible for someone else’s death.

It’s the same mentality behind the mask resistance still being displayed.

Some rules are restrictive, but these can be challenged in the courts before you are in a court defending a drunk driving or culpable homicide charge.

Do your bit, comrades. It will save lives.