Lawless bikers drag on highway

Reckless bikers racing on the N2 left a Salt Rock woman outraged after she narrowly escaped what could have been a tragic accident.

Salt Rock resident Carol Church (58) was travelling from King Shaka International Airport last Monday when two bikers sped past her, resulting in her almost losing control of her vehicle.

“My flight landed at around 10 pm from Johannesburg. I drove out of the airport onto the N2 northbound, heading toward Salt Rock and as I glided onto the N2, two motorbikes came up behind me. They overtook me and then slowed down while I continued driving in the middle lane.

“I was the only vehicle on this section of the motorway and at that time they were racing on either side of me at a speed of about 250km.”

Also read: Townsend park turfed up by motorists

Church said the speed at which the bikers raced past her caused her car to shake violently.

“The car shook so badly that Netstar Tracking phoned me to find out if I had had an accident.

“The motorbikes turned around just before the toll and headed south towards a group of about 10 motorbikes and cars that were parked on the side of the road, going back toward the Tongaat Toll.

“At the speed the motorbikes were travelling, this could have frightened an elderly person or a new driver resulting in a fatal accident as I almost lost control.”

Church saw the bikes did not have number plates.

Aside from Umgeni Road in Durban being popular for drag racing events, Tongaat and Stanger are also well-known hot spots.

The illegal sport came under the spotlight at the beginning of the year after a man was physically attacked on Umgeni Road for interrupting a drag race.

Police clamped down on enthusiasts, implementing hefty fines and confiscating modified cars in Durban. But according to Tongaat drag racer Kylen Naidoo, illegal drag racing events still continue.

“The informal events usually take place late on weekends when the roads are quiet. The drivers usually use cars and not bikes. The bikers are known to be from the Hillcrest area and they travel to the North Coast on the weekend.”

Tongaat Community Policing Forum’s Nazir Sadak said drag racing was a problem that had been going on for years, with few solutions.

“We are aware of incidents involving the bikers and we know that a few of them are known to be reckless but it is difficult to catch them in the act. The bikers travel from Durban and they are usually spotted in the mornings on the M4.”

He suggested motorists take down their registration numbers and report them to the Tongaat SAPS for reckless driving.

“The only other advice I can offer motorists is to keep in their lane and worry about their own safety. In the event of being caught in between a race, motorists should not rush to get away from the racers but rather allow them to pass as this is safer.”

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