The Western Cape Government and the Department of Transport and Public Works have devised a comprehensive enforcement plan aimed at ensuring the safety of all residents and visitors to the province. Enforcement and awareness interventions have been designed to respond effectively to the expected increases in traffic volumes and vehicle activities that have become synonymous with this dangerous period.
This influx places additional pressure on all law enforcement agencies that monitor and control traffic to ensure the effective and safe flow of traffic. Increased traffic volumes are known to, in turn, result in the increased risk of crashes and serious injury on our roads.
The last five Easter periods (from 2014) have seen high (average 27) fatalities over the Easter weekend.
Authorities have called on all road users to be conscious of the rules of the road, and make safety everybody’s responsibility. Many crashes are caused by driver error (driver fatigue, speeding, drinking and driving).
The Safely Home road safety campaign calendar theme for March and April is personal responsibility. The theme urges all road users to #BeTheChange that they want to see on Western Cape roads.
Wearing a seatbelt is a basic precaution which too many Western Cape residents continue to ignore. The law requires that all vehicle occupants wear an appropriate seat belt. Wearing seat belts reduces the risk of death in motor vehicle crashes by up to 45%. Seat belts prevent 99% of occupants being ejected in a crash.
To encourage road users to #BeTheChange, Safely Home has launched an advertising and awareness campaign across various media platforms to encourage road users to act responsibly and to adopt safe behavioural practices. The campaign is also live online on the Safely Home website and on Facebook and Twitter (@WCGovSafelyHome).
Enforcement operations for Easter will focus on the following:
- Driver fitness and documentation
- Random Breath Testing (RBT)
- Vehicle fitness
- Driving under the influence
- Passenger overloading
- Commuter safety
