Minister of Transport, S’bu Ndebele, watched his 24-year-old son tragically slip from a coma into death following a road accident during the treacherous Easter driving period. That was 18 years ago, but Ndebele still feels the pain of losing his son, Nhlakanipho. He is now calling for those who cause death on the roads to face murder charges.
Do you remember the accident at the end of last year, in which teenager Thomas Ferreira was knocked off his motorcycle by a blue-light vehicle? The car allegedly jumped a red traffic light in its terrible rush to get its VIP occupant somewhere. In an intriguing comment this week, the politician who was being transported in the car involved has stated unequivocally that the accident should not be politicised.
You might think you’ve seen some nasty old relics cruising the nation’s roads, but you haven’t seen anything quite like this! Kimberley traffic officials impounded this 1976 Toyota Hilux bakkie earlier in the week. Except, its owners have made some… er, modifications over the years. Check out the photo gallery after the jump!
South Africa’s Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has reported that approximately 39 people were killed on South Africa’s roads between December 1 – 31, 2011, and it’s not over yet as the holiday season draws to a close this week.
Driving over the holiday season can be hairy at the best of times, but imagine what it’s like for parents who cannot afford to transport their families safely. Road safety organisation Drive More Safely has launched a new children’s campaign which calls for donation of old car seats which can be used to help more families transport their kids safely.
We’ve been told that the government is not messing around when it comes to enforcing road traffic laws, including those relating to drinking and driving. Now new stats reveal the local authorities really do seem intent on following through with their warnings to motorists. Since September last year, more than 20 000 drunk drivers have been arrested. Not funny in the slightest.
With the Easter weekend but a heartbeat away, please be careful on the roads. And don’t even think about driving while under the influence, ok? Not even traffic cops can get away with that anymore. In another ironic turn of events in the world of law enforcement, a traffic officer was arrested for drunk driving last weekend.
You’d be well advised to start driving slower, in preparation for a significant reduction in speed limits on all national roads later this year. When the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO) comes into force, you’ll risk losing your licence if you’re caught driving too fast.
Employing a visual “shock factor” has long been a staple of effective television advertising. But damn this is a nice change. The Australian Office of Road Safety published this ad and it could be just as powerful a prevention as the explicitly showing blood, guts and gore on the road.
There’s an ancient Tibetan joke that goes something like “There’s nothing funny about a car accident unless one of the cars involved was transporting a bucket of PVC paint, which exploded on impact, for maximum comedic effect.” Sure, we’re the first to admit that some of the humour is lost in translation, but the wisdom is clear.