Road maintenance is a huge headache in Barberton

Road maintenance is becoming even more of a headache in Barberton, and not only as far as potholes are concerned.

Fender benders and minor accidents in town have become such a regular occurrence in the recent months, that few people still take notice.

Often it is a case of motorists disregarding road signs, but frequently it is because of those very signs that these slight incidents occur.

At many crossings in town, which bear a stop sign, it is difficult to adhere to the rule about staying behind the demarcated white line to observe the road for oncoming traffic. Some of these lines are nearly completely faded or placed so far back that drivers have to move onto the road to observe any oncoming traffic.

On Thursday, this was once more the case when two vehicles collided on the corner of Pilgrim and President streets. From what onlookers could gather, one of the female drivers coming from Pilgrim Street drove past the stop sign and into oncoming traffic.

This could either have been because the lines were not visible, or the stop sign which has clearly seen better days, or it could merely have been because she had to move into the way of oncoming traffic to observe the road.

Barberton Times arrived minutes after the incident, only to find the two women who were involved in the collision, driving off.

Road users should please take note that it is against the law to leave the scene of an accident before traffic and SAPS officials have arrived.

On Monday, another incident occurred in Pilgrim Street, just past its turn-off out of President Street.

While a vehicle from Mainpro Maintenance & Plant Hire was in the act of reverse parking, it ended up in an enormous, dilapidated storm-water ditch.

These incidents happen more to visitors than townspeople, it seems, as they do not know the roads as well.

Although considerable damage was caused, no one was hurt during any of these incidents.