In most circumstances reckless drivers never had any intention, be it due to anger or another motivation, to injure or kill people in the vehicle accidents they cause.
This is all the more reason to consider a vehicle a deadly instrument in the hands of any driver.
“We are seriously concerned about the high number of major crashes, where five or more people perish in a single incident,” Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula said in December when the 2021 preliminary festive season road statistics were released.
At that time, it was announced that major crashes had increased compared to the previous year, with a surge of 60% in the Northern Cape.
With the festive season around the corner, the reality of increasing road accidents in the Northern Cape is no reason to be joyful.
In the past two months alone, several accidents in the province made news headlines. In these incidents, five or more people were killed.
Admittedly, some roads and their maintenance are in a terrible state; trucks are taking over the roads; and yes, sometimes a tyre burst occurs.
Still, human error remains the major cause of vehicle accidents.
“Driver fitness as an essential element in road safety is highlighted by international studies on the cause of most accidents. Driver fitness can be summarised as the physical and mental ability of the driver to enhance safe driving.”
This is according to Arrive Alive, which published parts of these studies.
It was furthermore found that accidents are mainly caused because a driver failed to notice critical details because his attention was focussed elsewhere.
Arrive Alive stated that many road crashes could be prevented by addressing driving style, behaviour, and attitude towards driving.
The next time you get behind a steering wheel, realise that you are in charge of a deadly weapon. Act accordingly.
