Johannesburg: The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has urged motorists to improve their vehicles' visibility and exercise extreme caution when driving late at night or in the early hours of the morning after 24 people died in separate crashes. 'The corporation calls on motorists to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol and to take road conditions into account when travelling,' the RTMC said on Monday.
According to South African Government News Agency, five people lost their lives when a bakkie crashed into the back of a hatchback on Old Randfontein Road in Kagiso, near Mogale City, Gauteng, on Sunday. The crash happened at about 3am, and all the deceased were traveling in the hatchback. The driver of the bakkie was unharmed, while all five occupants of the hatchback died at the scene.
In another tragic incident, nine people died on Thursday, shortly before midnight, when a minibus and a truck collided at the intersection of the R500 and R42 at Buffelshoek in North West. The RTMC reported that the minibus, which was towing a trailer and carrying 13 passengers, collided with a truck. Six men, a woman, and a girl died at the scene, with another person succumbing to injuries in hospital, raising the death toll to nine.
A head-on collision on the N1 near Nyl Plaza in Limpopo on Friday also claimed five lives. This crash involved a truck and a minibus, with reports suggesting that the minibus crossed the median into the truck's lane, leading to the fatal head-on collision.
Further tragedy struck on Sunday on the N1 between Kroonstad and Heuningspruit in the Free State, where a minibus collided head-on with a Ford Ranger. Four occupants of the minibus, trapped in the vehicle, were burned beyond recognition. Another passenger of the bakkie later died in hospital due to injuries from the crash.
The RTMC is actively investigating the causes of these crashes to prevent further tragedies on South Africa's roads.