Elderly couple, child injured as car overturns on pothole-ridden R102

An elderly couple and their grandchild sustained moderate injuries when their vehicle overturned after striking a pothole on the R102 near Glen Anil, KwaZulu-Natal on Monday.

The incident has again brought South Africa's crumbling roads infrastructure to the fore. 

According to reports by Arrive Alive, the vehicle hit a pothole, causing the driver to lose control. The car veered off the road and overturned. Bystanders and passing motorists quickly came to the aid of the family.

“Several concerned motorists who witnessed the incident stopped to assist. In a remarkable display of community support, bystanders helped free the occupants by pushing the vehicle back onto its wheels,” Arrive Alive said.

Emergency medical responders from KZNVIP Ambulance Services arrived promptly at the scene.

“The injured occupants were stabilised before being transported to a nearby medical facility for further assessment. Metro police attended the scene and assisted, diverting traffic.”

The crash comes just weeks after a pothole-related accident claimed the life of a delivery driver in Northriding, Johannesburg.

Metro police said a car had slowed down because of a pothole, causing the delivery driver behind it to clip the vehicle and veer into oncoming traffic, where he was struck by another car.

Metro police spokesperson Xolani Fihla confirmed a case of culpable homicide would be opened with Douglasdale police.

These incidents are grim reminders of South Africa’s worsening pothole crisis. According to the Automobile Association, the number of potholes on South African roads could exceed 25-million.

Poor road conditions have long been a source of frustration, with many communities staging protests over the years due to the impact on essential services and transport.

In 2023 the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) responded to concerns about the estimated 25-million potholes, denying the figure but acknowledging the severity of the issue.

“We do not dispute that South Africa has a pothole crisis and remain committed to working with provinces and municipalities to address it,” said Sanral spokesperson Vusi Mona.

Former transport minister Fikile Mbalula previously revealed the government had paid out compensation to hundreds of motorists whose vehicles were damaged by potholes, with some payments exceeding R100,000.

The private sector has also seen the effect as former head of Dialdirect Insurance Anneli Retief reported a 15% increase in pothole-related accident claims at the end of 2022.

“Dodging potholes has fast become a professional sport but doing so can, and sometimes does, result in car crashes,” said Retief.

Motorists and passengers injured may have legal recourse, according to DSC Attorneys. The firm said if the accident occurs on a national road claims can be made against Sanral. For incidents on municipal roads, the relevant municipality or department of public works may be held accountable.

“If you’re physically injured in a road crash caused by a pothole you weren’t solely responsible for, you may be able to make a claim for compensation from the Road Accident Fund,” the firm said.

Proving negligence is key. “This could be a photograph of the pothole that caused the crash or evidence that the pothole was previously reported to authorities and not repaired.

“For a claim to be successful, you’ll also need to supply further supporting evidence such as medical reports and bills, contact details of any witnesses and a police report.”

TimesLIVE