Residents say recent spate of road deaths a concern

POLOKWANE – With the recent spate of road accidents costing bikers their lives, Review spoke to some residents to find out what they thought the reasons for these accidents and deaths were.

Joseph Malophelo said there were a lot more road accidents involving motor vehicles, but he thought bikers’ injuries were more severe because they had less protection.

“The visibility of bikers is limited. They must wear reflective jackets to make them more visible. Reflectors on the bikes can also help as some of them have very poor lights,” he said.

Lawrence Lincoln Manamela said traffic officials should be more strict about people skipping stop streets and red traffic lights.

“These accidents also happen when people are using their cell phones while driving, rather than stopping for a few moments,” he said.

Elize Bothma said the installation of traffic lights at areas where accidents involving motorcycles occurred would assist in preventing these accidents. “There are also a lot of bikers to blame for driving recklessly and these people should also be forced to abide by the rules, especially the speed limit,” she said.

Gerhard Bothma said bikers were also guilty of not adhering to the rules of the road. Driving fast, weaving through the traffic, and not stopping at stop streets were all ways that accidents could be caused, he said.

“A lot of them (bikers) are very reckless and I think recklessness is a huge cause of all these deaths,” he said.

Angela de Ponte says bikers are not the best drivers on the road, and they seem to think the road is theirs. “Yes, motorists speed as well, but the danger of being killed riding a bike is higher,” she said.

Bosman Brink, the chairperson of one of the biker groups in Polokwane, said motor vehicle drivers do not respect motorcycle riders.

“Often taxis tend to push them off the road or cars don’t want to make space so that the motorcyclist can also ride safely. We must all learn to work together and drive together. The road is there for all to use,” he said.

While there are mixed feelings over this issue, one thing everyone agrees on is that cell phones should never be used while driving, no matter what vehicle is being driven.