Drive properly or we'll never get safer roads - Blade Nzimande

The government is investing a lot of resources to reduce the carnage on the country’s roads‚ but cannot win this war alone if road users continue to disobey the rules of the road‚ minister of transport Blade Nzimande says.

His comments come in the wake of another two horrific crashes this weekend which claimed the lives of 21 people.

Fifteen people died in a crash involving four vehicles on the N4 between Mbombela and Malelane in Mpumalanga. Two trucks‚ a sedan and a 22-seater bus were involved in the collision‚ which occurred on Friday night.

Also on Friday night‚ six people were killed in a head-on collision between two vehicles on the N1 in Modimolle‚ Limpopo.

Nzimande appealed to road users to be alert to avoid the possibility of being involved in accidents.

“Although law enforcement officers are deployed throughout the length and breadth of the South African road network‚ I appeal for maximum cooperation from all road users. Motorists must be responsible and observe the ABC (awareness‚ behaviour and choice) of road safety‚” the minister said.

He said that while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the crashes‚ he had instructed all traffic law enforcement officers to be on high alert‚ to patrol all known hazardous routes‚ to be visible and show no mercy in cases of traffic law violations.

“This trend of massive crashes robs families and our country of young men and women who are playing an important role in the social welfare of their families and the country at large‚” Nzimande added.

“We cannot continue on this trajectory of counting bodies on our roads daily.”