EDITOR – If ‘banning the heavies’ will not be enforced then there are three solutions that should be done in an attempt to prevent another tragedy like the Field’s Hill truck tragedy.
Firstly, the mandatory truck stop at the top of Field’s Hill needs to have better signage to make the heavies aware that they must stop there.
Currently there is very poor signage and I have nearly been taken out by heavies that do not stop completely and turn into traffic without even caring about the other road users.
Secondly, there are no arrester beds for heavies to use if something is faulty with their vehicles. If there was an arrester bed for the driver to use, this tragedy could have been avoided.
Thirdly, there should be a rest-stop for the heavies that travel up and down Field’s Hill.
This will give the brakes time to cool off and then continue without breaking down/crashing etc. Going down Field’s Hill, there are two perfect places for the arrester beds and rest stop areas – the first can be on the corner of Jameson Terrace and the second can be near the base of Field’s Hill, where the old nursery was on the left (just before heading into Pinetown).
Going up Field’s Hill, there can be a rest-stop in the cove of Fields Crescent, thus reducing the amount of trucks that break-down on the next blind rise before the Kloof Pioneer Road turn off.
Time and time again, heavies cause accidents due to brake failure after steep declines. This number can be reduced if preventative measures such as these are in place.
There’s one at Towns Hill in Pietermaritzburg, why can’t there be one on Field’s Hill? But top priority is to ban the heavies off of Field’s Hill as they continuously break the law.
Field’s Hill user
Hillcrest
