''Take personal responsibility for road safety,'' appeals MEC, as we head into Easter Weekend

The Western Cape’s Mobility MEC, Ricardo Mackenzie, has called on road users to take personal responsibility for road safety, this Easter Weekend. The provincial department launched its Easter road safety campaign for 2024 at the Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell, on Saturday.

COURTESY: WC Mobility Dept.

Twenty-six people lost their lives on Western Cape roads in 2023, compared to 36 in 2022. According to the department, it saw a 44.5% reduction of fatalities on provincial routes in 2023 and an 11.1% reduction on municipal routes. Of the 26 that died on the province’s roads, 16 were pedestrians, 5 were drivers, 3 were passengers, and 2 motorcyclists lost their lives on the Western Cape roads.

The department are also offering free vehicle testing to help motorists prepare for long-distance travel.

‘’We need all road users to take personal responsibility for road safety. The Western Cape Government is ready for Easter, doing everything possible to keep our residents and visitors safe on the roads during this busy holiday period,’’ said Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape Mobility MEC.

‘’With the school holidays already started, our Provincial Traffic teams are out in full force with high visibility patrols targeting moving violations, interprovincial corridor operations, K78 roadblocks focused on ‘exodus’ traffic, and fatigue management interventions. Our Road Safety Officers are also deployed across the province to raise awareness about how to be safe while travelling,’’ he added.

Mackenzie says in preparation for the upcoming Easter period, they looked at lessons learned during the December Festive Season to see how they could better efforts to prevent traffic crashes and fatalities.

‘’Our operational deployments are informed by data analysis and boosted by advanced systems and technology. We are targeting pedestrian safety, driver and vehicle fitness, and ensuring that interventions respond to local challenges. Enforcement during this period focuses on inconsiderate driver behaviour, speeding, drunk driving, passenger overloading (in all types of vehicles), fatigue, and unroadworthy vehicles. We are prioritising systematic vehicle inspections of buses, trucks, and light delivery vehicles (bakkies), which have been involved in many fatal crashes over the last month.’’

‘’However, no matter how intensive our road safety campaign might be, we still face the enormous challenge of changing road user behaviour. We need a collective effort to reduce the number of people losing their lives on our roads; not just from enforcement agencies and road safety practitioners, but from our society at large,’’ added Ricardo Mackenzie, Western Cape Mobility MEC.

He urged those travelling, to do so responsibly.

‘’Whether long- or short-distance, support us in the drive to reduce road fatalities in the Western Cape. Please do your part. We are committed to doing our very best to protect you out there,’’ said Mackenzie.

 

Done By: Mitchum George