South Africa’s Killing Fields
Our roads are notoriously dangerous and tragic during the festive season. Each year, the holiday season concludes with thousands of crashes and fatalities rather than time well-spent with family and friends. It is for this reason that a number of experts in road safety and wellness came together to provide information and tips to traverse the roads during this time.
The managing director of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says the company hosted a virtual colloquium entitled ‘South Africa’s killing fields.’ “We selected the name to draw attention to the large number of people that lose their lives during this time. A definition of ‘killing fields’ is large-scale, often systematic killing, which is, unfortunately, akin to the situation on South African roads.
“The information shared provided viewers with some valuable insight and information on how each driver can contribute to reducing the carnage on the roads. Other experts also joined the discussion to provide information on relevant topics during this time such as security considerations and financial well-being. The range of topics made for an informative session that all can apply to their lives.”
The presenters:
Layton Beard from the Automobile Association of South Africa looked at the state of road safety in South Africa particularly compared to international statistics and what role motorists must play in changing this. Beard noted that just a 1% reduction in crashes will equal 83 000 less car crashed and 141 less deaths.
Miles le Roux from N3 Toll Concession discussed the perspective of the N3 toll route at this time of year. Last year, there was an average of 30 crashes every ten days of which 2.5 of these were fatal. He looked at how the situation can be improved by reducing human error and working with available resources.
Amanda Klette from Netcare showed that traffic accidents are a top cause of trauma cases in hospitals across the BRICS countries. Many are due to human error and reckless driving. Klette stressed the importance of educating people about road safety particularly among the youth.
Johan Jonck from Arrive Alive addressed the importance of sharing information on road safety and good driver behaviour. Arrive Alive is dedicated to this cause in an attempt to change statistics.
MJ Oosthuizen from G4S Security spoke about security concerns to consider as we reach the end of year. He spoke about some lesser-known security mistakes, particularly with one’s vehicle, and vulnerabilities that criminals exploit.
Neo Mbele from Standard Bank looked at festive season spending trends and some changes to expect this year due to pressure from COVID-19. She provided some tips and advice on how to better utilise funds and reduce financial pressure in January.
Eugene Herbert from MasterDrive brought attention to the rising prevalence of distracted driving and the resulting road crisis. Research says as much as 88% of drivers admit to using phones while driving even though this makes you 23% more likely to be involved in a crash.
Consequently, MasterDrive is launching a new app to reduce distracted driving. “Technology that gives drivers what they want, but without looking at their phone, is essential to change the prevalence of distracted driving crashes.
“ping is a patented voice platform and app that eliminates the ‘urge’ for drivers to check their phones by automatically reading texts and emails out loud, so drivers can focus on the road. It removes both visual and cognitive distractions. This road safety initiative will be launched and available for download from 14 December 2020.”
MasterDrive wishes anyone who will make use of the roads over the festive season, safe travels. “Keep all the information shared in mind so that you return to your daily life next year healthy and safe,” says Herbert.
