Motorists urged to respect road rules after 21 deaths over long weekend
“We will identify freeways and hazardous locations in the province to ensure the safety of road users,” says Gauteng traffic police departmental spokesperson Sello Moremane.
Gauteng traffic police are urging motorists to adhere to the rules of the road following the high number of fatalities reported on the N1 this past heritage weekend.
Departmental spokesperson Sello Moremane said this was informed by the preliminary road safety statistics recorded between Thursday and Monday (September 21-25).
According to Moremane, 17 fatal crashes were reported, resulting in 21 road users losing their lives. He said eight pedestrians also lost their lives on the Gauteng roads during the weekend.
“The contributory factors leading to fatalities in Gauteng include excessive speeding, unsafe overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol, and walking on Gauteng roads without reflective clothing.
“Law enforcement authorities continue to be on high alert as many road users are expected to travel back to Gauteng this afternoon,” he said.
Moremane said the department would embark on a series of heightened law enforcement operations and road safety activations.
“We will identify freeways and hazardous locations in the province to ensure the safety of road users. Drivers who continue to conduct themselves with impunity, thus endangering the lives of road users on Gauteng roads, will be severely punished,” he said.
According to historical claims data from Auto and General Insurance, there was a 25% chance that motorists could get into an accident over the long weekend.
Speaking before the weekend, Maremane said multiple road fatalities recorded during this period last year were the result of unsafe overtaking, speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol, and general disregard for the rules of the road or road traffic signs, among others.
“All categories of road users, namely drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians are urged to remain vigilant at all times when using Gauteng roads.”
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