The new year has begun and carnage on our roads is a talking point again, perhaps indicating the need for a new approach to road safety.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has reported that drunken driving and speeding continue to be the biggest factors on our roads, with 455 arrests accounting for those suspected of driving under the influence in the Eastern Cape in December.
The Eastern Cape department of transport has reported more than 150 road fatalities since the beginning of December, with many of the crashes said to have been head-on collisions.
Reckless driving has also been apparent this festive season with the highest speed recorded in Limpopo on the N1 where a motorist was caught driving at 209km/h in a 120km zone on December 17. In addition to this, the RTMC said traffic officers issued 408,783 fines for various violations while more than 6,000 vehicles were discontinued.
Figures released by transport minister Barbara Creecy on December 20 reported 512 deaths caused by crashes across the country, which was an increase to the previous year’s statistics for the same period.
These reports underscore the need for a renewed approach to road safety in the country as campaigns mounted to bring the fatalities down appear to have had no effect. With this current trend and reality, there is hardly any progress to talk about to meet the United Nations target to reduce road deaths and injuries by 50% come 2030.
More lives are lost in this country during December than in any other period of the year. Yet despite educational campaigns and increased visibility of traffic police during the same period, the fatalities are not decreasing significantly. It would take longer than a decade of action to lower these numbers at this rate.
It goes without saying that drivers’ behaviour is one of the major causes of this crisis, which is only second in terms of accounting for loss of lives after crime. The focus of a new approach must therefore take root in changing driver behaviour on our roads.
Authorities need to do more to eradicate corruption at licensing centres across the country if we are to win this battle. Far too many incompetent drivers are on our roads, putting lives at risk because someone was paid a bribe to hand them a licence on a platter.
The traffic police can make a difference in enforcing road traffic laws throughout the year without fear or favour.
SOWETAN
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