Driver fatigue ‘plays major role in road carnage’

Road deaths have neared the 800 mark and fatigue is an important contributing factor to those who continue to drive dangerously on roads, the N3 Road Concession (N3RC) said.

In the past week, the annual December road carnage reached concerning levels, with several fatal crashes around the country.

In KwaZulu-Natal, one person was killed and seven others injured when the bakkie in which they were travelling overturned on the Hobsland Road on Wednesday.

According to ER24 spokesperson Werner Vermaak, the driver was declared dead at the scene. “Seven other occupants were taken to a nearby hospital.”

Just outside Carltonville, 16 people were injured when a taxi rolled on the R501 on Wednesday. ER24 spokesperson Ineke van Huyssteen said most patients were sitting around after the accident – including a two-year-old girl on her mother’s lap. She sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital.

N3RC spokesperson Con Roux said the number of fatalities on this busy stretch of road had reduced significantly: from 19 last year to 12 so far.

He asked drivers to be responsible, as roads were expected to get busier towards the end of the year. “Surprisingly, people are already starting to go home this weekend. It may be due to the economic climate, which does not allow for long holidays like before.”

Roux attributed the major accidents on the N3 to fatigue and said taxi drivers were most vulnerable to this, because they did several trips without rest. This resulted in them driving at speed while tired.

Road Traffic Management Corporation spokesperson Simon Zwane said he was not able to comment on the exact numbers of accidents and fatalities during the festive season as a statistical report was still in progress.

However, the corporation was expecting high volumes of traffic on the major roads as people returned home this weekend and said they would be on high alert should any problems arise.

Transport Minister Blade Nzimande announced earlier this week that the death toll was nearing the 800 mark.

– Additional reporting by ANA

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