Pretoria - The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has called on truck drivers to exercise extra caution on the roads, and to “put more effort” into avoiding road crashes and fatalities.
“This follows two crashes that claimed a total of 15 lives on Friday and Saturday,” RTMC spokesperson Simon Zwane said in a statement.
Six people were killed on the R55 road in Clydesdale, near Umzimkhulu, in KwaZulu-Natal when a truck pulling a trailer was involved in a head-on collision with a passenger vehicle.
“Another crash took place in the early hours of Saturday morning, involving an articulated truck and a Toyota Venture on the N1 between Mookgopong and Mokopane in Limpopo,” said Zwane.
Nine people, five adults and four children, who were travelling in the Toyota Venture died on the scene.
“It is alleged that the Venture, travelling in the direction of Polokwane, suffered a tyre failure that caused the driver to lose control and the vehicle to overturn in the opposite travel direction in the path of the approaching truck,” said Zwane.
The RTMC’s crash investigation unit and the SAPS are investigating both crashes.
“However, the RTMC calls for extra caution to be exercised on the roads, to reduce these avoidable crashes. Trucks (drivers) have to put in more effort to assist the country’s road safety efforts,” said Zwane.
In September, following a spate of fatal crashes involving heavy vehicles on roads in different parts of South Africa, the RTMC “strongly” warned truck owners that they could be held liable for the negligent conduct of their drivers.
“Truck owners are further warned that they could lose the right to operate on national roads, which would have dire consequences for their businesses,” said Zwane.
The warning followed a “shocking” truck crash on the R34 near Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal.
“The crash allegedly happened when a truck driver failed to stop at the scene of a crash. He collided with six other vehicles - four trucks, one SUV and one light delivery vehicle at the scene, causing them to explode into a ball of fire. Two people were injured,” said Zwane.
He said a video of the crash was circulated widely on social media and has caused a public outcry.
IOL