Limpopo transport authorities concerned about surge in road fatalities
The Department of Transport and Community Safety in Limpopo is urging motorists to drive with caution.
This is after 15 lives were lost due to road accidents in the province over the weekend amid the intensified 36-Days Arrive Alive Road Safety Campaign that was launched by National Transport Minister, Fikile Mbalula, last week.
The Department Media Liaison Officer, Mike Maringa, says since the country moved to lockdown level 1 the province has seen an escalating number of road fatalities and most of them are caused by speeding.
Maringa says the department’s mandate from Mbalula is to reduce fatalities by 20% this season, but the situation currently doesn’t seem promising.
In the latest incident, four people were killed and one critically injured when the Dawoo Sedan they were travelling in lost control, overturned and caught fire on the R36 road near Merensky outside Tzaneen.
All the occupants in the vehicles were flung out of the car before it caught fire.
Three were certified dead on the scene and the fourth passenger died upon arrival at the hospital.
Mopani and Waterberg districts have the highest number of reported accidents. – Report by Radio Turf’s Tshepo Maeko