POLOKWANE – Moremi, said for October, which is Transport Month, in 2016 the death toll resulting from accidents in the province totalled 93 deaths and in 2017 some 151 people, an increase of more that 60 %, have already succumbed to injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents.
Read more: Limpopo roads among most dangerous in South Africa
Moremi said the main contributory factors are speeding and reckless driving. “Motorists who disobey traffic rules are the cause of most road accidents,” he said.
This is despite a decline in death tolls from road accidents in the province this year, following a fairly good Easter season with fewer accidents recorded, but there has been a sharp spike in fatal accidents lately.
Read more: [INFOGRAPHIC] More accidents, fewer fatalities over Easter
Review enquired about the current statistics following a weekend (two weeks ago) during which 23 people were killed in six separate collisions in Limpopo.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation was able to supply the statistics from January to June this year. Reports showed that in 2016 some 497 fatalities occurred in 402 accidents from January to June, while this year in the same period, 405 fatalities ensued from 369 accidents.
Read more: UPDATE: 3 of 12 victims of deadly Botlokwa crash identified
During the 2016 December festive period Limpopo reported the highest increase in fatalities countrywide, however, with 244 deaths compared to 186 deaths in 2015’s festive season. The total death toll for 2016 in the province was 1 644 people. This accounts for 12% of fatalities in the country.
Statistics for July to September 2017 will only be available in December.
Chief Director for Traffic and Safety, Jane Mulaudzi, said deploying traffic officers on all roads will not reduce the number of accidents as most are caused by motorists not obeying traffic rules.
“Two weeks ago, on Sunday alone, we lost 23 people in six accidents. The accidents were caused by reckless driving. Some were overtaking at barrier lanes, some were doing a u-turn in an unsafe area. Ten people have been killed and seven injured, including a two-year-old baby when a bakkie collided with a taxi in Roossenekal, Limpopo on Sunday. The accident happened on the R555 next to the De Hoop Dam. It is alleged that a double cab bakkie was travelling in the direction of Steelpoort when it made a u-turn and collided with the taxi.”
Read more: Eight people die in collision on the N1 South
The newly appointed MEC for Transport, Makoma Makhurupetje, recently said preparations for the festive season road safety campaign will start immediately.
Limpopo Premier, Stanley Mathabatha, called on all motorists and pedestrians to drive with care and obey the rules of the road. “If you see somebody disobeying the traffic rules, take their registration number and report the matter to the nearest police station. We can’t continue losing this many people due to negligence and recklessness on the roads,” he said.
Mathabatha also urged traffic police to have a zero tolerance approach on recklessness and unroadworthy vehicles.
