765 killed on SA roads this month
2012-12-22 10:21
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Accidents
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Johannesburg - A total of 765 people have been killed on SA
roads so far this month, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said on
Saturday.
"The preliminary festive season statistics as reported
by the SAPS from 1 December 2012 to 21 December 2012 is 765 fatalities from 638
fatal crashes," said RTMC spokesperson Ashref Ismail.
Seventeen of the accidents were considered major fatal
crashes.
"A major fatal crash is defined as a crash in which
five or more people were killed in a single incident."
He said eleven of these major fatal accidents had been
head-on-collisions.
"The chances of surviving such crashes at any speed are
very slim."
Ismail said the main factors behind road accidents were
excessive speed, dangerous overtaking, drinking and driving and pedestrians who
were drinking and then went walking.
In 2011, 1 771 people died as a result of 1 316 road
accidents that took place between 1 December to 10 January 2012.
The previous year, 1 551 people had died in the same period.
Traffic volumes
The RTMC had hoped to reduce the number of road casualties
this year by 25%.
"Given the preliminary figures, all indications are
that this target will not be met".
Nevertheless, the RTMC hoped to come as close to the target
as possible.
Meanwhile, traffic volumes across the country were expected
to peak on Saturday afternoon as South Africans made their way to holiday
destinations.
Ismail said about 1 500 to 1 800 vehicles were travelling
towards Polokwane from Gauteng.
High traffic volumes were also expected on the N3 in the
direction of Durban and on the N1 from Mangaung to Cape Town.
Ismail said people must be patient if stopped at a road
block as these were there to check the safety of vehicles, drivers' competence
and to prevent drinking and driving.
- SAPA