3 000+ road accidents in Dec
2008-01-05 08:58
Johannesburg - Netcare released its road accident statistics on Friday for the month of December.
It said that the Netcare 911 National Call Centre dispatched emergency vehicles to 3 096 motor vehicle accidents and 526 accidents involving pedestrians for December.
These numbers were for incidents throughout South Africa.
In Gauteng, 1 267 road accidents were reported for the month of December.
"The highest numbers of motor vehicle collisions as well as pedestrian collisions occurred in the late afternoon and early evening, making sunset a dangerous time to be on the road for both motorists and pedestrians, " said Netcare 911 spokesperson Nick Dollman.
Dollman reminded motorists that the volumes of vehicles on the road would steadily increase until the schools reopened and he encouraged all motorists and pedestrians to travel responsibly.
"A slower travelling speed gives you more time to react in an emergency situation and also decreases the stopping distance.
"Speeding and alcohol abuse result in unnecessary tragedies," he said.
He advised pedestrians to wear light coloured clothing and walk on the side of the road facing oncoming traffic.
"All motorists should increase their following distance, travel at a safe and appropriate speed and switch their vehicles' head lights on to make themselves more visible to other road users," Dollman said.
- SAPA