The DA welcomes the decrease in festive road deaths, but the increase in crashes remains concerning

The DA welcomes the decrease in festive road deaths, but the increase in crashes remains concerning

The province recorded 99 deaths from December 1 to 31 2014, this was a decrease from the 109 recorded in 2013.

The increase of law enforcement officers on roads played a vital part in ensuring the safety of our commuters during the festive season. Though the DA welcomes this decrease we continue to be concerned about the number of fatalities on our roads since one death is one too many. 

Road accidents in Mpumalanga increased from 567 in December 2013 to 593 in 2014. Reports indicated that most crashes recorded in Ehlanzeni and Gert Sibande districts. This is an indication that more needs to be done – Three simple steps could curb both fatalities and accidents on our roads:

1.      We need to remove the backlog in prosecuting drunk drivers.

2.      Traffic officers, need to be visible and on our roads 24 hours a day, accredited and trained to recognise those errors (all of which are traffic offences) and apprehend the offenders. The objective of an apprehension must be behaviour change which aimed at preventing future driving errors and possible fatal crashes, as well as driving under the influence of alcohol or any other illegal substances.

3.      Stricter measures for overloaded taxis.

Though the festive season has come to an end we need to ensure that road safety measures continue to be visible throughout the year.