WESTERN CAPE NEWS - In a stark and urgent message to the public, Western Cape Minister of Mobility MEC Ricardo Mackenzie delivered a sobering assessment yesterday, Monday 4 December, just four days into the official festive season.
The weekly provincial traffic statistics tell the story of the very real costs of the reckless behaviour of drivers.
Last week, 18 pedestrians were killed out of a total of 34 traffic fatalities.
Eighty people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, including the driver of a minibus taxi carrying 12 people.
One of these passengers did not survive the fatal crash the minibus was involved in and further charges have been laid against the driver, including reckless or negligent driving.
In a statement Mackenzie said those who take risks on our roads must know that there are consequences.
He expressed dismay at the alarming levels of recklessness witnessed on the province's roads over the past weekend.
He highlighted a litany of dangerous behaviours that demand immediate attention and a swift change in attitude.
From trucks daring prohibited routes, resulting in perilous obstructions when they inevitably get stuck, to cyclists blatantly disregarding construction hazards on closed roads, and public transport drivers jeopardising the lives of their passengers - the festive season has begun with a concerning disregard for road safety.
The minister's warning is clear: the status quo is untenable, and reckless road users must urgently alter their behaviour to ensure a safer holiday season for all.
At the launch of the province's Festive Season Road Safety Plan on Friday 1 December, Mackenzie made it clear that their traffic management teams are prepared for the holiday period, with close to 600 provincial traffic officers working hard to ensure that everyone reaches their destination and their loved ones safely.
Daily operations across all districts in the province include:
- High visibility patrols monitoring moving violation offences.
- Speed enforcement, including average speed over distance monitoring.
- Roadblocks to detect drunk driving, driver fatigue and passenger overloading, to enforce seat belt usage, and to check documentation, driver fitness and vehicle fitness.
On top of these daily operations, they have a comprehensive programme of:
- Inter-provincial corridor operations in collaboration with the neighbouring provinces.
- Pedestrian awareness interventions.
- Driver awareness interventions focusing on alcohol for public transport operators.
- Integrated fatigue operations on key routes.
"No matter how effective, dedicated and well-equipped these teams are, we need all road users to do their part in preventing traffic crashes," Mackenzie said.
"Check your vehicle’s roadworthiness, buckle up, don’t drink and drive, don’t speed, and take rest breaks every 200km. These simple actions will keep everyone safe and alive this festive season."
Results from WC Provincial Traffic Services – 27 November to 3 December:
- Provincial traffic inspectors conducted 313 integrated roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and speed control operations, and stopped and checked 32 022 vehicles across the Western Cape.
- A total of 9 320 fines were issued for various traffic violations ranging from driver to vehicle fitness. Nine vehicles were impounded and 170 were discontinued for being found to be unroadworthy.
- A total of 184 speeding offences were recorded.
- A total of 115 arrests were made for offences including driving under the influence of alcohol, speeding, possession of fraudulent documentation, wilfully preventing, hindering or interfering with the flow of traffic; and failing to stop the vehicle on command of a peace officer.
- A total of 30 crashes occurred in the reporting period, and 34 fatalities were recorded.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
