The Reaper and the roads

This seems it will be an annual piece for me to write about as it is a worrying subject and one that needs to be looked at urgently. Many had their holidays during December but The Grim Reaper did not.

During the December holidays, holiday makers flock to holiday destinations by the millions. Due to the large volumes and South African driving, accidents are aplenty. As of 16th of January 2012, the official death toll stood at 1475 - and this could still rise slightly.

It is obvious a figure like this is unacceptable. The Transport Department puts the causes down to: Driving under the influence, speeding, pedestrians behaviour, weather conditions and reckless or inconsiderate driving.
To further ensure The Grim Reaper had a busy December,  it was also found that many people did not make use of the seat-belts that they received free with the car.

On average, 40 people die per day on South African roads. This is largely due to the fact that often public transport vehicles are full or even over packed, so one accident could kill some 12-18 people. Yes-ONE accident.
Unroadworthy and reckless driving of public transport vehicles are the biggest cause of mass deaths.

It was stated that in 2012 the focal point will be reducing the fatality rate. Sadly we hear this EVERY year after the Final December death toll is released and each year we lose roughly the same amount.
Granted the metro and traffic police did conduct lots of road blocks and issue loads of fines, but obviously this is not enough. Personally I did not see the 'high visibility' that they undertook to show. Often police ignore reckless driving and speeding, unless they are conducting a speed trapping exercise. Not all, but a worrying amount of cops also are open to bribes..and the public are just as guilty for paying them. Bribes could get one out of anything from a speeding fine to being caught drinking and driving. So, as illegal as it is and despite sting operations, corruption reporting lines and so on, this trend continues. As I said, I will not point fingers at all cops, as there are those who do us proud.

The South African public needs a massive shift in responsibility. The horrors of accident are drummed into us, yet it does not seem to curb our behavior. For every drunk caught, there are probably 50 odd who get away with it. The speed limit is 120 kph of highways, however it is not uncommon to see cars and motorbikes driving in excess of 150 kph, some even in excess of 200 kph.
Perhaps once the demerit system kicks in, drivers may change as they stand to lose their licenses.Lets hope this route works as I do not see much else working.
In South Africa Mr Reaper never has a moment to sit and relax.