Eleven killed on Western Cape roads this weekend

A preliminary report from the Western Cape Department of Health’s Forensic Pathology Services indicates that 11 road users died on the province’s roads over the weekend.

Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services arrested 31 motorists for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol on 3 and 4 June 2016.

Three other arrests were made:

• one for reckless and negligent driving in George,
• one for excessive speed in Beaufort West (177 km/h in a 120 km/h zone), and
• one for failing to furnish a name and address to a traffic officer in the Vredenburg area.

Breath testing was performed on 1 591 drivers at 25 alcohol blitz roadblocks across the province. The highest breath alcohol reading was recorded in the Somerset West service area. At 1.21 mg of alcohol/ 1 000 ml of breath, this is five times the legal limit of 0.24 mg/ 1 000 ml.

A total of 182 vehicles were screened for speeding and 61 speeding offences were recorded. Fines in the amount of R249 200 were issued for a variety of reasons ranging from driver offences to vehicle fitness violations.

Highest speeds recorded

• 177 km/h in a 120 km/h zone on the N1 in the Beaufort West service area, 
• 124 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on the R328 in the Oudtshoorn service area, and
• 97km/h in an 80 km/h zone on the N1 in the Laingsburg service area.

Details of the road fatalities over the weekend follow:

Shorter, darker days and fog during the winter months can increase the risk of road traffic crashes. We live in a winter rainfall region, and rain can make roads slippery, and hamper visibility. Don't miss out on your future because you didn't see another road user, or weren't seen yourself. The best way to survive a crash is to avoid it altogether. 

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