The Road Traffic Management Corporation calls on festive season travellers to reduce high speed and respect all road regulations.
An unacceptably high number of head-on collisions involving speed and reckless driving have been recorded since the start of the festive season. Eleven people (11) have died in the latest head-on collisions that occurred in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Free State respectively.
The KwaZulu Natal occurred in Kwa Mbonambi on Friday, December 19 and it is alleged that a driver of a light delivery vehicle was overtaking and went onto the path of an oncoming vehicle.
The driver of the oncoming vehicle tried to avoid the light delivery vehicle but lost control and overturned. The LDV went on to have a head-on crash with another vehicle resulting in five people killed, eight with serious injuries and six with light injuries.
In the Free State crash that took place today Saturday 20 December, five people died and three were injured when two vehicles collided head-on outside Heilbron. The collision occurred on a blind rise.
The causes of the crashes are under investigation. Data collected by the RTMC shows that head-on collisions are responsible for twelve percent of crashes on South African roads this festive season.
Speeding is the leading traffic law violation recorded since the start of the festive season. Close to 50 000 traffic fines have been issued relating to speeding and 255 drivers have been arrested for driving at high-speed and exceeding the speed limit by 40 kilometres an hour.
Motorists are called upon to desist from overtaking over solid lanes, on blind rises and when the view ahead is not clear.