Road death stats paint grim picture
‘When there is an accident on the N2, it is almost always fatal’
AT least 36 people have died in the district as a result of injuries they sustained in road accidents since January, statistics show.
The latest three deaths occurred last Saturday when two cars collided at high speed on the N2 near Fairbreeze, leaving a swathe of destruction, littering the highway with bodies and car parts.
The N2 has become particularly notorious for deadly crashes, its latest victims Zama Kunene, Nelisiwe Gumede and Durban-based detective Constable Silondile Kunene.
According to available figures collected by uThungulu Emergency Medical Service on the section of the N2 under their jurisdiction, at least 15 people died so far this year, not including last week’s three fatalities.
Between January and July, 15 people died in 82 accidents, with a total of 195 injured (16 critically) on the stretch of N2 between Amatikhulu and Mtubatuba.
The major possible causes of these accidents are loss of control (38 accidents), negligence (8) and tyre blowouts (6). Thirteen causes are unknown.
Worryingly, the majority of the fatal accidents occurred during daylight in clear conditions, while most night-time accidents also occurred in clear conditions. Two deaths were recorded during wet weather conditions.
‘When there is an accident on the N2, it is almost always fatal,’ a Gingindlovu RTI officer, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Zululand Observer.
‘We have asked the Department of Transport on a number of occasions to put a barrier between the lanes, but we get no feedback.’
The officer was speaking at the scene of the Fairbreeze crash.
Read the full story in the ZO Weekend.
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