In a bid to reduce road fatalities over this Easter weekend, law enforcement agencies have been put on high alert throughout South Africa and all its provinces including Gauteng and the North West.
The police have also provided the following safety tips to help curb road accidents and fatalities:
1. When driving alone, avoid isolated routes and always be cautious of your surroundings.
2. Practice safe and defensive driving, taking risks on the roads compromises fellow motorists.
3. Keep your personal possessions away from public view to avoid unwanted encounters with “criminal activities.”
4. Don’t drink alcohol and drive
5. Always be cautious of drivers around you and report bad behaviour to the law enforcement authorities.
6. Motorists have a responsibility to ensure that all passengers fasten their safety belts.
7. Weather conditions influence driving experience. Where possible, avoid driving in compromised weather conditions by postponing or bringing forward road trips.
8. Pay caution to other motor vehicles signals on the road. Always look at brake lights, indicators and driver signals.
9. Overloading goods and passengers is an illegal act.
Gauteng police spokesperson, Sello Maremane said there is heightened police visibility on the roads in the province because of the notable increase in traffic flow in the province during Easter which leads to an increase in incidents of drunkenness, recklessness, negligence speeding among other transgressions on the roads.
These are the reasons why we have high road accidents and high fatalities on the roads and police and various law enforcement agencies will embark on heightened law enforcement activities to ensure the safety of road users during this busy period, Maremane said.
“The notable increase in traffic flow in the province during the Easter period, leads to an increase in drunken driving, reckless and negligence, speeding amongst other traffic contraventions some of which result in fatal crashes. It is for this reason that the Gauteng Traffic Police and various law enforcement agencies will embark on heightened law enforcement activities to ensure the safety of road users during this busy period,” said Sello Maremane, Gauteng Traffic Police Spokesperson.
“The Easter season period usually experiences a huge demand for road users traveling for religious, holiday and business purposes along major routes in the province including the N1 North to Polokwane, N1 route in Johannesburg to the Free State and N3 South to Durban;
”Gauteng Province has over the past few years continued to record a rapid increase in the number of car accidents leading to fatalities. It is against this backdrop that law enforcement agencies will continue with the efforts to monitor road users through collaborative and integrated heightened interventions measures”.
Maremane said the highest number of people killed on the roads were pedestrians and some of the reasons are not wearing reflective gear at night.
