The Five Most Lethal Road Traffic Offences in South Africa
South Africa loses an average of 18000 people to road crashes annually. That brings to about 45 people who are killed needlessly and senselessly on our roads daily, due to recklessness, negligence and corruption.
These are the five most lethal causes of road deaths in South Africa:
- Speeds too high for circumstances are the number one killer on the roads. The faster you go, the more time and space you need to bring the car to halt, and if you cannot, the harder the impact and the resultant damage and casualties. By travelling not just within the speed limit, but also suitable to the conditions you are giving yourself sufficient time to identify the hazard and react accordingly.
- Driving and walking whilst under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. More than 60% of crashes over weekends are as a result of abuse of alcohol, either by the driver of a passenger. Clearly then, drinking and driving or walking is extremely unsafe.
- South Africa has amongst the highest fatality rates amongst pedestrians in the country. More than 40% of our annual fatality rates comprises of pedestrians. This is either because of drunken walking, jaywalking, walking on freeways, wearing clothes that are not visible at night as well as distracted walking.
- Reckless and negligent driving is another major contributor to the high crash rate. Daily we witness bad behaviour by mainly taxi drivers, who drive through red lights, in the yellow lanes, sometimes facing on-coming traffic, overtake on barrier lines and/or in the face of oncoming vehicles and travel at excessive speeds in overloaded and un-roadworthy vehicles.
- Distracted driving, which includes more than just using your mobile whilst driving, it includes any act that takes your eyes and mind away from the business of driving: eating, fiddling with the radio/air-con, turning to give the baby the milk bottle and the like are all dangerous as your concentration is compromised.
Let us change our mindsets and be prepared, be polite and be patient in order to get there with no regrets.
