Road safety campaign launches ahead of the festive season
Transport MEC Florence Radzilani urges everyone to wear their seatbelts while in a car and to be vigilant as a pedestrian this holiday season.
LIMPOPO – Launching the 2022/23 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign, Transport MEC Florence Radzilani said the R71 was found to be the second most dangerous road in South Africa after the N2, and that Limpopo is among the top five provinces in terms of road fatalities alongside KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape.
Radzilani gave the keynote address during the event held at the Kaizer Sports Ground on November 30.
Based on the department’s findings, they launched the programme in the hope of targeting the people of Mankweng, Nobody, Mentz, Ga-Makanye, Ga-Mothapo, Ga-Mothiba, Ga-Molepo, Ga-Mamabolo, Moremadi, Mamadimo and surrounding areas, who often fall victim to road fatalities as pedestrians, she remarked.
“I know most of you might think that road safety campaigns must be targeted at motorists because as they are the ones who are on the road. But the truth is that a large number of fatalities involve pedestrians,” Razilani said.
Sporadic accidents on Limpopo roads happen over the festive season and specifically on the R71 when holidaymakers make their way to various destinations, Radzilani mentioned, adding that traffic officials will deal harshly with those found on the wrong side of the law.
“What makes Limpopo peculiar compared to other parts of the country, is the ever-busy N1, which connects South Africa and Zimbabwe and the rest of Africa. This road also connects Polokwane to Moria, and is the route of choice for those travelling between Polokwane and Phalaborwa. We will dispatch officers on the roads during this period, who will be visible on a 24-hour basis,” she added.
She emphasised the impact of public transport passengers who don’t buckle up, adding that this habit contributes to the severity of accidents.
“If you do not wear a seatbelt, you will be ejected out of the car in the event of a crash, or if the vehicle overturns. There is also a culture of overloading vehicles among motorists, which does not only damage road infrastructure, but contributes to accidents. This is a common transgression along the N1 between Gauteng and Beit Bridge, and for this festive period, I will personally be joining a few operations that will be dealing with motorists who drive overloaded vehicles.”
