A preliminary report from the Western Cape Department of Health’s Forensic Pathology Services indicates that nine road users died on the province’s roads over the weekend, two of them children (one 5 years old, and the other 12 years old).
Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services arrested 22 motorists for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol on 6 and 7 May 2016. Two other arrests were made: one for excessive speed in on the N1 in the Laingsburg service area (191 km/h in a 120 km/h zone); and one for excessive speed in the Vredenburg service area (148 km/h in a 100 km/h zone). Six vehicles were impounded for a variety of offences.
Breath testing was performed on 1 824 drivers at 23 alcohol blitz roadblocks across the province. The highest breath alcohol reading was recorded in the Somerset service area. At 1.22 mg of alcohol/ 1 000 ml of breath, this is over five times the legal limit of 0.24 mg/ 1 000 ml.
A total of 4 410 vehicles were screened for speeding and 863 speeding offences were recorded. Fines in the amount of R301 900 were issued for a variety of reasons ranging from driver offences to vehicle fitness violations.
The highest speeds recorded were 191 km/h in a 120 km/h zone on the N1 in the Laingsburg service area; 155 km/h in a 100 km/h zone in the Worcester service area; and 118 km/h in an 80 km/h zone in the Vredenburg service area.
Details of the road fatalities over the weekend follow:
Date | Location of crash | Fatalities |
Friday, 6 May 2016 | Greater Cape Metropole Otto du Plessis Dr, Melkbosstrand |
1 male driver |
Friday, 6 May 2016 | Greater Cape Metropole Monte Vista |
1 male pedestrian |
Saturday, 7 May 2016 |
Greater Cape Metropole |
2 male drivers |
Saturday, 7 May 2016 | Eden/Central Karoo Lockstone Rd, Beaufort West |
1 female driver 1 female passenger (5 years old) |
Saturday, 7 May 2016 | Eden/Central Karoo N2 Pacaltsdorp |
1 female pedestrian |
Sunday, 8 May 2016 | Overberg R43 Bot River |
1 male pedestrian |
This is an appeal from the Department of Transport and Public Works: never use your cell phone while driving. Distracted driving can be fatal. As the United States National Road Safety Council points out, the ability of a person’s brain to process moving images decreases by 33% when he or she is on the phone. Drivers cannot respond quickly to what is happening on the road when they are distracted. This is true even if they are using a hands-free apparatus. Road crashes can result in serious injuries and death. No phone call or text message is so important that it is worth a human life.
Follow Safely Home on Twitter @WCGovSafelyHome under the hashtag #ItCanWait
Kenny Africa
Provincial Traffic Chief
Department of Transport and Public Works
Tel: 021 483 5114/ 7823
Cell: 084 562 4574
Email: Kenneth.Africa@westerncape.gov.za
You can follow the Department of Transport and Public Works on Twitter: @WCGovTPW