Buckle up to avoid preventable deaths, injuries – Mbalula
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced a decline in passenger fatalities, but says his department remains concerned by the failure by both drivers and passengers to always wear their safety belts.
“Our message to buckle up must continue to resonate with motorists as a life-saving mechanism. We have seen unbuckled children and adults alike being [flung] out of cars, resulting in serious injuries and deaths that could have been prevented.”
Releasing the latest road fatality statistics, recorded between 1 December 2022 and 11 January 2023, Mbulala revealed that passenger fatalities dropped by 7%, with 31% recorded during this festive season, compared to 38% last year.
READ: More than 1 400 killed on SA roads during festive break
Mbalula also revealed that driver fatalities declined from 28% in the previous period to 27% in 2022-2023 – while deaths among cyclists declined from 3% to 2%.
“Road users must at all times appreciate that the road is a shared space and drivers have the responsibility to look out for pedestrians and cyclists, while these road users must also behave in a safer manner.”
Last year, the driver of the BMW that struck and killed cyclist 37-year-old Steven Preston was sentenced to six years direct imprisonment in the Randburg Magistrate's Court.
Ishe Davani pled guilty to the charges of culpable homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol for the June 2020 crash which saw him losing control of his BMW in Fourways, trapping and dragging Preston under the car for 30 meters.
ALSO READ: Drunk driver gets 6-year prison sentence for killing Fourways cyclist
Meanwhile, the driver of the Porsche that allegedly hit two cyclists in Lanseria last year is due back in court next month.
André Piehl, who was an executive at Famous Brands, was killed in the incident while his friend Je'an Francois du Preez sustained serious injuries.
Kabelo Nyatlo faces charges of culpable homicide, negligent driving, and drunken driving, among others.
