By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has called on motorists to practice extreme caution on the roads following a crash in Eastern Cape that killed 14 people.
In a statement issued, the RTMC said the collision occurred when a minibus crashed head-on with an SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) at approximately 5:30am on Monday on the N9 between Graaff-Reinett and Middelburg.
A Mazda CX5 SUV with six occupants and a fully loaded minibus travelling from the Western Cape collided head-on early on Monday morning.
“It has been established that the SUV was travelling from Middelburg to Graaff-Reinett and the Minibus was travelling the opposite direction towards Middelburg, when they collided head on,” the RTMC said.
The RTMC has sent investigators to the Eastern Cape province to investigate the cause of the accident.
It said law enforcement officers will continue to maintain a strong presence on the roads throughout the festive period and warned that those who disregard the rules of the road will be held to account.
“Those driving long distances should take regular stops to avoid fatigue. Fatigue is one of the leading contributors to road accidents, with research showing that drowsy and distracted drivers are significantly more likely to be involved in collisions.
“Drivers should rest, especially before long-distance driving. The average adult should aim for eight hours of sleep,” the RTMC said.
It added that fatigue is worsened by distractions, including texting, talking on the phone, or using in-car entertainment systems while driving.
“The use of alcohol is also a major factor behind road crashes around this time of the year.”
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and her deputy Mkhuleko Hlengwa have extended their condolences and wished the injured a speedy recovery. They also repeated their call to motorists and all road users to heighten their vigilance on the roads at this time.
They appealed to motorists to take responsibility for their and the safety of other road users.
Since the start of Festive Season Road Safety campaign on 1 December, more than 700 drivers have been arrested for drunken driving.
Close to 100 000 traffic fines have been issued for various infringements of traffic violations, while 2 1 54 vehicles were discontinued because of defects and 2397 public transport vehicles were impounded for violations of operator permits.