Road Safety Roadshow at Mokgwathi Village

The roadshow was aimed at reducing the number of accidents by 50%.

Deputy Director of Road Traffic And Safety Samuel Machete, outlined that most victims of road accidents are young children. Machete encourage passengers to refuse to board overloaded vehicles because this might cause the tyre to burst (which is one of the main causes of accidents on our roads).

He further urged passengers to ensure that drivers are not under the influence of alcoholic drinks when boarding their vehicles.

Joseph Makomene, a Road Safety Officer, gave a presentation on how pedestrians should be cautious when walking on the streets at night.

He emphasised on the fact that pedestrians should wear bright coloured clothing so that they are visible, and advised them to always walk on the right hand side along the road.

Mike Maake of the department stated that some people in various areas direct livestock into the roads, so that once the animals are knocked down by a car, they can slaughter them and take the meat to their homes.

Maake also made livestock owners aware of reflector belts which are supplied by Road Safety department for their livestock. “These belts will reflect during the night while the livestock is on the road, but the most importantly it is used to locate them at their kraal,” said Maake.

Mathebula Jonas from Disabled People of South Africa (DPSA) indicated that their organisation has partnered with the DOT with an aim of giving them the platform where the disability sector can tell its own stories within the road safety framework.

He also said that through this programme, as a person with disabilities, they need to incorporate the disability element the best way they see fit, within the road safety framework. Shopping Malls and taxi ranks have been earmarked for their campaigns in raising awareness to the community about road safety and accessibility, and also to emphasise the need for other road users to keep in their mind that disabled persons are also road users.