Don’t become a statistic this festive season
Toll gates may be full, but this is no reason to rush or behave violently towards fellow drivers.
Two people were killed and four others were injured in an accident on the R509 in Magaliesburg on Friday evening,
With greater responsibility comes more cautious driving. How do we view the facts and where do we draw the line when it comes to road fatalities and smashed cars?
As a young man in my mid-20s, it was expected that I’d have a modified Polo and poor driving habits. Yet, proof is that for my age group and even younger age groups, fatality rates are often lower than for older folk.
This is not to say that young people cause the least accidents, since, as a collective, the age bracket 25 to 39 is said to have the highest fatality rate, with a contribution of 15% of fatalities to the total, followed by people 40 to 44 years old, with a contribution of 11% of fatalities.
Graphic: Costa Makola
Neither are the modified Polo or Citi Golf drivers responsible for every fatality on the road, as some might think.
Most accidents during the festive season occur on the way to holiday destinations. Be aware that toll gates will be full. This does not give reason to rush or behave violently towards fellow drivers.
Before hitting the road, a few things need to be checked.
Graphic: Costa Makola
Water, oil level and tyre pressure are the very basics. The advanced checklist includes tyre thread, proper servicing, car wiring, suspension maintenance and no alcohol consumption before travelling.
As minuscule as these things might seem, they could be life-saving for the driver as well as other road users. Its not hard to be responsible.
Draw the line and respect life – and avoid becoming part of the statistics.
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