A second sign on N4 poses possible safety hazard says TRAC
There is not enough space to put a second sign indicating the Tenbosh Road turn off, from the Hectorspruit direction, without posing a safety hazard says TRAC
MBOMBELA- Jordan Venter (15) is finally mobile after a week at Mediclinic Nelspruit’s intensive care unit (ICU). This does not mean that he is out of danger yet and he will remain there.
His mother, Gill Clarke’s, condition remained unchanged in ICU after having undergone an operation last week. She was treated for internal bleeding of her liver on Thursday.
She sustained a broken shoulder, ribs and ankle in the accident that claimed the lives of her friend, Heinrich Kieser (48) and his two sons Aldin (13) and Christiaan (15), on the N4 between Komatipoort and Hectorspruit last Tuesday.
Clarke and Jordan had been travelling back from holiday in Mozambique with Kieser and his sons when the sports utility vehicle (SUV) they were travelling in collided with a truck.
The father and his three sons died on the scene.
Clarke was airlifted to Mediclinic Nelspruit. Jordan sustained injuries to his skull, pelvis and lung and was transported to the hospital by ambulance.
Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison (DCCSL) spokesman, Joseph Mabuza, said the truck driver was travelling in the direction of Mozambique.
The driver in front of it braked to turn left onto the Tenbosch Road. It swerved to avoid it and collided with the Kieser’s oncoming vehicle.
Regular users of the N4 have taken to social media to express their outrage at the lack of adequate signage along the route, which is currently under construction. They claimed it makes it difficult for drivers to turn left onto the Tenbosch Road.
TRAC has denied this allegation, saying speed humps and contraflow lanes which are narrower than normal but within the legal requirements, have been installed on the national highway. Other signage indicating the speed limit and delineators redirecting traffic onto the turn-off are also present.
There are two signs, coming from the Komatipoort direction, which indicate the Tenbosch turn-off, one of which is closer to the turn-off. According to TRAC communication manager, Solange Soaress-Nicholson, the sign from the Hectorspruit direction is situated 300 metres from the turn-off.
She added that, because of the construction, there is limited space for a second sign closer to it.
“It cannot be accommodated at this stage as that in itself will create a safety hazard,” she said.
Flag men and signs are situated on parts of the national road to warn motorists to use the road with caution.
“TRAC is very strict on its contractors because the safety of our road users is our number-one priority,” said Soares-Nicholson.
“We reiterate that this particular area is still a construction zone and it is important to bear this in mind, as a road user and member of the public.”
