Magalies sees sea of red during road safety campaign
The campaign was deliberately held during Easter.
Africa Road Events, a road safety lobby group, organised and hosted the Magalies Drive Safe Campaign 2019 during the Easter weekend.
The campaign took place in the busy country town of Magaliesburg.
The campaign was deliberately held during Easter, a time when motorists and pedestrians frequent roads in celebratory mode, many making the most of the weekend to reach holiday destinations.
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Unfortunately, it is also considered a time when many lives are lost in motor vehicle accidents.
In 2018, 510 people lost their lives during a 12-day period, commencing before the weekend and ending shortly thereafter. Given the trend, it was anticipated that this number would increase to 580 lives lost over the same period in 2019. The national figure has not yet been released by the Transport Minister, Blade Nzimande.
Darrell Strydom, Campaign Convenor for Africa Road Events, estimated that there are approximately 830 000 motor vehicle accidents in South Africa every year. “Annually, approximately 14 000 people lose their lives due to motor vehicle accidents,” he said.
According to a 2018 report from the UN World Health Organisation, total road accident fatalities worldwide amount to about 1,35 million people per year.
Motor vehicle accidents worldwide are the first cause of death among children between the ages of five and 14 years, and among young adults aged 15 to 29.
“A staggering 54 per cent of all motor vehicle accident fatalities affect pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. Our Magalies Drive Safe Campaign 2019 seeks to raise road safety awareness among motorists and pedestrians alike,” Darrell said.
Darrell and his team were seen in the streets of Magaliesburg, creating awareness and making sure their campaign message was loud and clear.
