LIMPOPO – Limpopo Transport and Community Safety MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya has expressed her concern about the number of fatal road accidents in the province due to reckless and negligent driving.
This follows two separate collisions along the N1 highway on Saturday (January 1) has claimed the lives of six people.
According to a statement issued by the department the first incident occurred along the N1 south near Modimolle in the Waterberg distrcit and involved a Mercedes Benz sedan and a Toyota bakkie.
“It is alleged that the driver of the sedan lost control of the vehicle due to speed and collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle,” said media liaison officer Mike Maringa.
Both drivers were killed on impact while three other people were seriously injured and were rushed to a nearby hospital.
“Speeding and reckless driving is believed to be the cause of the accident,” he added
Meanwhile, in the Vhembe district a head-on collision between a Renault sedan and a Nissan minibus claimed the lives of four people.
Maringa explained that the collision occurred along the N1 north next to the Capricorn plaza.
“Three male passengers and one female were killed on impact while, both drivers escaped with serious injuries.
“Unsafe overtaking has been cited as the possible cause of the accident,” he concluded.
Lerule-Ramakhanya warned that traffic volumes are expected to increase on Sunday afternoon along the N1 and other provincial roads.
“We are expecting traffic volumes to increase today especially on the N1 and I want to urge road users to be extra cautious and obey the rules of the road. Our law enforcers are still out in numbers, and they will not tolerate lawlessness and reckless behavior. We cannot continue to count numbers early in the year because of reckless behavior, we need people to arrive at their destinations alive.”
She cautioned motorists to be patient and to drive within the prescribed speed limits.
