Già più di mille morti sulle strade

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Created on Wednesday, 26 December 2012 11:56

Sono già più di mille, probabilmente anche più 1.100, i morti in incidenti stradali in Sud Africa durante il periodo natalizio. La cifra è in parte frutto della conta delle vittime e in parte dedotta dal fatto che si contano fra 38 e 40 morti al giorno. Nella maggior parte dei casi gli incidenti sono stati scontri frontali. Il totale supera di 15 unità quello dello scorso anno. Le informazioni sono state fornite dalla Road Traffic Management Corporation. E' improbabile che la media giornaliera di vittime scenda molto fino alla prima settimana di gennaio. La foto è dell'archivio del Sowetan. Nonostante l'alto numero di incidenti, molti automobilisti sono stati multati perché non usavano le cinture di sicurezza.

Holiday season road death toll passes 1 000: report

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) on Tuesday said the number of people killed on South Africa's roads was estimated to be more than 1 000, according to a report.

At least 11 people were killed in various road accidents over the weekend, says Eyewitness News.

RTMC spokesman Ashraf Ismail told EWN that the national death toll was at this stage likely to be over 1 100.

He said the estimate was based on the fact that an average of between 38 and 40 people died daily on roads nationwide.

Ismail said the majority of accidents reported do far were head on collisions.

“This is the most devastating, terrifying crash that a human being can endure,” the report quoted Ismail as saying.

Authorities in the Western Cape say the province's road death toll has risen to 142 since the beginning of December.

Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa said the figure was 15 fatalities more than what was recorded last year, and warned that traffic officers would clamp-down on all road offenders.

“We will take no nonsense when it comes to anybody endangering anybody’s life.”

Africa said speedsters, drunk drivers and other road offenders would face prosecution.

City of Cape Town spokesperson JP Smith said dozens of fines had been issued in recent days to motorists who were found not to be fastening their seat belts.

“It’s disappointing that there are so many people out there to be found to fine in the first place.”

Transport Minister Ben Martins over the weekend urged motorists travelling on South Africa's roads during the festive season to prioritise life above personal convenience, the department said.

"Minister Martins says if each motorist aimed to save a life each time they got into their vehicles, the nation would make considerable progress in the fight against road carnage," the department said in a statement.