Archive photo. (Photo: gertnelattorneys.co.za)
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has warned motorists to improve their vehicles’ visibility and take extreme care when driving late at night or in the early hours of the morning.
The warning follows after 19 people died in road accidents this past weekend.
Five people died on Sunday morning when a bakkie collided with a vehicle from behind on the old Randfontein road in Kagiso, near Mogale City in Gauteng. The driver of the van was not injured.
Another nine people died shortly before midnight on Thursday evening when a minibus taxi and a truck collided at the intersection of the R500 and R42 at Buffelshoek in the North West.
According to the RTMC, the minibus, which was towing a trailer and carrying 13 passengers, collided with the truck. Six men, a woman and a child died at the scene, while another person later succumbed to his injuries in a hospital.
Five people died in a head-on collision between a truck and a minibus on the N1 near Nyl Plaza in Limpopo on Friday.
(Archive photo: Istock)
The minibus allegedly crossed the center line and ended up in oncoming traffic, after which it collided head-on with the lorry.
Another serious collision took place on Sunday on the N1 between Kroonstad and Heuningspruit in the Free State when a minibus and a Ford Ranger collided head on.
Four occupants of the minibus, who were trapped in the vehicle, died and their bodies were “burnt beyond recognition”, according to the RTMC. An occupant of the bakkie died of injuries in a hospital on Monday.
The RTMC is investigating the contributing factors that may have led to the accidents.
In the meantime, the corporation appeals to motorists not to drive under the influence of alcohol and to take winter conditions into account when they travel.
“Slippery road surfaces, especially in the early hours of the morning, as well as fog and poor visibility, can increase the risk of accidents,” says RTMC in its statement.
Motorists are advised to reduce their speed, maintain greater following distances and avoid sudden braking or steering movements.