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Johannesburg - The 2015/16 festive season saw a large increase in the number of road fatalities as well as crashes.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday (January 12 2016), Transport Minister Dipuo Peters expressed her concern over the high number of fatalities on the road due to reckless drivers.
From Dec 1 2015 to January 11 2016 the Department of Transport (DoT) reports 1387 fatal crashes on the road and road fatalities increased by 220 (14%) from 1535 over the same period in the previous year to 1755.
The DoT said: "That represents 11% increase compared to 2014 where 1253 crashes were recorded."
User responds
Wheels24 user Paul Chinchen shares his solutions for reducing the grim road death toll in South Africa.
Here's a list of suggestions from Chinchen:
1 Each province must have a department dedicated to bringing their death toll down and they must be heavily incentivised to do so.
2 National roads must be split into two separate roads - going one way and one going the other. This will eliminate head on collisions.
3 Light vehicles should be able to travel in the right-hand lane at 140km/her hour on National roads. Less time on the road = less fatigue.
4 Heavy vehicles must stay in the left-hand lane and be restricted to 100km/h on National roads.
5 Limits must be placed on the duration of journeys made by truck drivers.
6 Everyone must wear seat belts at all times.
7 Passengers may not be transported on the back of bakkies or trucks.
8 Babies and young children must be in age-appropriate, safety tested and graded car seats.
9 No drinking and driving.
10 Traffic lights MUST work.
11 Full crash stats updated daily must be available for all to see – these must include:
-Make and model of vehicles involved
-cause of the accident
-which province the accident occurred in
-time of the accident
-whether drink was involved or not
-age of the deceased
-gender of the deceased
What do you think is the answer to reducing road deaths in SA? Email usand we'll publish your thoughts.
