Sanco calls for increased visibility on the roads
The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) said on Wednesday that increasing visibility and enforcing a zero tolerance approach to motorists travelling on the roads during the festive season would drastically decrease road fatalities.
Sanco spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu said that their stance on ensuring South African roads were safer for all was made even more resolute after Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters revealed that statistics showed that there was a "staggering 17 percent increase in road fatalities compared to last year".
Mahlangu said that statistics showed that "over 800 people have died on the country's roads since December 1". This was unacceptable, given that road related deaths were preventable, Mahlangu said.
"Motorists should also play their part by observing the rules of the road, adhering to speed limits, avoiding to drink & drive, texting and using cellphones while driving," Mahlangu said.
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Traffic officers, he pointed out, should be deployed for 24 hours in a cost-effective way, including overtime, that is "specifically targeted at accident prone hotspots and deliver results. Allocated resources must save valuable lives and not just be extra pay".
Such precautions he indicated, would go a long way in saving lives and reducing the strain on the country's economy and healthcare system.
He called for increased road safety education and awareness campaigns, and for the prioritisation of quicker turnaround in blood samples' results that would lead to effective prosecution of drunken driving offenders.