Teach rules of the road at school

It’s that time of year again – when our government factotums reach for the percentages to try to convince us they are doing a good job.

After the matric results preening for the media, next up was transport minister Barbara Creecy to let the country know that, during the 2024-25 festive season, road deaths were up 5.3% and crashes up 4.2%.

A total of 1 522 people ended up in the morgue this season, maintaining vehicular homicide as a leading cause of death.

Naturally, like umpteen transport ministers before her, Creecy muttered people’s attitude should change, the dangers of speeding, drinking and driving and reckless behaviour behind the wheel.

Then she revealed the most appalling statistic of all: 41% of those killed on our roads in December-January were pedestrians.

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Therefore, Madam Minister, may I take this opportunity to save thousands of lives.

Simply: start educating people about the rules of the road. And this education should start in pre-primary school.

The cardinal rule for all pedestrians – which more than half of those walking on our roads seem to be ignorant of – is always walk facing traffic. It’s simple common sense: if there is a car barrelling towards you, at least you have the opportunity to leap out of the way.

Also, don’t wear dark clothing… especially at night.

These rules – not suggestions or recommendations – should be taught and enforced. Young kids should learn what traffic lights mean, what stop signs and traffic circles are all about long before they are old enough to get their driver’s licence.

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That way, the rules of the road won’t seem like a foreign language to them when they take their test… or even buy their licences.

Entrance to high school should include a road safety test which, whether failed or not, must be repeated every year. Failure to pass that test at matric level means no certificate. Do that and perhaps people will start taking road safety seriously.

Tell the cops that one sure way to know someone’s licence has been bought or is fake: they use a car’s hazard lights as indicators. No-one who has done a K53 test would do this. Another dead giveaway is when they think a red arrow means you can turn because the straight-ahead is green.

Do all this, minister, and you won’t have to plead for road users to change their behaviour. And you’ll save the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers from ending life’s journey too early in a mortuary van.