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Kids flung from bakkie in horror SA crash

Cape Town - Child pedestrian fatality map, shocking CCTV footage... The Western Cape has taken a hard-hitting approach to road safety through its 'Safely Home' campaign.

Earlier in October 2014, Wheels24 reported that the province’s transport and public works department released the latest video in its Crash Witness CCTV series.

On Thursday (Oct 30), the department's latest clip shows CCTV footage of a horrific crash in the Western Cape.

CRASH WITNESS VIDEO

The video shows a vehicle smashing into the rear of a bakkie causing it the collide into the road barrier, destroying its load bay. Bizarrely, the driver of the offending vehicle continues to veer off camera without any noticeable attempt to slow down or even change direction.

Once the dust clears, you can spot occupants, revealed to be children, of the wrecked bakkie's load-bay moving on the road as traffic is brought to a standstill.

According to the EMS technician in the video, the bakkie had child occupants in the rear. Since the children were not strapped in they were, the technician says, "flung from the vehicle".

VIDEO: WCape bakkie crash horror (Note: It's in Afrikaans)

Latest Crash Witness video:
Click on the gif below to view the clip




Since 2011 the Safely Home campaign has launched a series of videos showing crashes and road incidents in the province. The aim of the campaign is to highlight the dangers of reckless driving by showing CCTV footage of real collisions.

Crash Witness video 5: Click on the gif below to view the clip (Warning: Graphic footage)



Previous Crash Witness videos: Click on the gif below to view the clip (Warning: Graphic footage)

'SHOCK AND AWE'

Western Cape transport and public works MEC Donald Grant spoke to Wheels24 about the province’s shock tactics.

Grant said: "It’s a shock-and-awe tactic to try to change behaviour. What we’re really trying to do is change the behaviour of our drivers to make sure they’re far more responsible.”

VIDEO: Grant speaks on WCape Crash Witness videos

CHILD FATALITIES MAP


In October 2014 the Safely Home campaign released an interactive map showing child pedestrians killed in 2014.

The map shows child pedestrian fatalities (10 years or younger) in the Western Cape from January 1 to September 15 2014. It allows viewers to click on markers for details such as a gender, age and date.

Video: Donald Grant speaks on the Western Cape child pedestrian fatality map


SPEED-OVER-DISTANCE CAMERAS

On October 13, Wheels24 reported on the City of Cape Town installing average speed-over-distance cameras on Nelson Mandela Boulevard.

Grant reports that the cameras will be effective in reducing speeding and reckless drivers.

The cameras will monitor all lanes of the dual carriageway in each direction from the bottom of Nelson Mandela Boulevard to the N2 and M3. There are three sets of cameras: the first is on the footbridge over Nelson Mandela Boulevard adjacent to District Six; the second is on the Main Road bridge over Settlers Way; the third is on the footbridge at Mostert’s Mill on the M3.

Video: Donald Grant speaks on speed-over-distance cameras

What do you think of the Western Cape's shock tactics for road safety? Do you think it will be effective in curbing poor road behaviour? Email us  and we'll publish your thoughts on Wheels24.

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