Motorists urged to be responsible over Easter
“It is in our hands to ensure that our cars and trucks no longer resemble mobile coffins. Road accidents kill over 14,000 people every year.''
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has commended law enforcement agencies (working closely with various stakeholders) for mobilising maximum resources and ensuring heightened police visibility to quell criminal acts and curb road carnage during the Easter period.
“Our law enforcement agencies are prepared and have mobilised all resources to take the war to criminals. There will be heightened police visibility in all corners of the province, including special intelligence-driven law enforcement operations. We have also unveiled a fleet of high-tech Road Traffic Inspectorate vehicles to be used to enforce the rules of the road and monitor driver behaviour during the Easter period,” said Dube Ncube.
The premier added that the country’s roads cannot be turned into mass graves, and called on all citizens (including traditional leaders, inter-faith leaders and the transport industry) to join government efforts to ensure a safe and incident-free Easter.
“It is in our hands to ensure that our cars and trucks no longer resemble mobile coffins. Road accidents kill over 14,000 people every year. The majority of road accidents are a direct result of human error and offensive driving. Other human factors such as alcohol abuse; non-adherence to traffic rules; speeding; aggressive, reckless, negligent and inconsiderate driving are major contributors. In April 2022, while traffic volumes remained the same on most major routes in KwaZulu-Natal, the traffic dramatically decreased due to the floods. As a result, the province registered the highest decrease in road deaths, at 61%, dropping from 54 deaths to 21 during the Easter weekend. Even then, 21 fatalities are far too many. Equally, one death is one too many,” said Dube-Ncube.
“All crimes involve transport, because criminals either use getaway vehicles, public transport or walk on our roads. We have an opportunity to use technology to integrate the activities of road traffic authorities together with those of the SAPS and other law enforcement. Criminals should not be able to drive away from the scene without our ‘intelligent transport systems’ intervening to halt their getaway,” concluded the premier.
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The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.
