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National Road Traffic Law-Enforcement Officers supported by various other law-enforcement agencies.
The Provincial Road Incident Management (PRIM) systems launched Festive Season Arrive Alive campaign at Shell Ultra Pit stop in Bloemfontein.
The campaign is aimed at strengthening collaborations across emergency and law enforcement services during the festive season, ensuring safer roads, healthier communities and enhanced public awareness.
The Free State comes out of a November where more than 23 lives were lost on its national roads in just three weeks. Last month’s surge in road fatalities due to car crashes is a cause for concern.
Authorities say they have analysed a trend of incidents, which mainly happen between midnight and the early hours of the morning.
Some of the motorists, who passed by the Shell Ultra, share their experiences on the roads.
One says, “It’s pretty busy but as not as hectic as I anticipated, as I’ve mentioned due to the fact that I also left around 5 am this morning. So I expected a lot more traffic but it seems to be flowing and in terms of the Arrive Alive Campaign obviously we need to watch our speed.”
Another says, “The roads are pretty good. The toll roads are good because we’ve been on our e-tag, which just goes off automatically and it’s good to see the presence of Arrive Alive, and all the policemen and the emergency people, and we have no issues at all.”
The Free State Traffic Department has urged motorists to practice caution to avoid collisions.
Chief Director for Traffic Lehana Leeto advised motorists to avoid unnecessary overtaking as doing so will minimise the risks of head-on collisions.
Leeto adds that they would also monitor roads to ensure the safety of pedestrians, as they account for more than half of people, who are killed on the road.
He says, “Also, as you have said, the Free State is a province where everybody is passing through and we want to make sure that everybody in the Free State is safe. Also our plans is going to cater for pedestrians and also the motorists, because road safety begins with you and me.”
Leeto adds, “We are going to make sure that everybody in the Free State is safe and we are also going to ensure there’s visibility, and the people must see it, and also pedestrians must wear light clothes at night, to make Free State safe.”
COLLABORATION
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the Free State say collaboration with the law enforcement agencies will improve their response time and save lives on the roads.
EMS Spokesperson Sipho Towa says, “We have tried to analyse as well, when you look at the accidents they happened at night between 12 and 6 am. So with the law enforcement agencies, there is that arrangement that they will be available 24-hours a day.”
Towa says, “As emergency services, we have come together under the theme of ‘safer together, stronger together, let’s communicate’, by this what we mean is, we are all working from one point and we are able to share our resources. This also ensures that we avoid duplication of resources at one place during incidents.”
Those travelling through the local service station along the N1 were provided with safety tips and received free health check-ups.
They were also encouraged to rest when driving for more than two hours or distances exceeding 200km.
VIDEO | 365 Days Arrive Alive Road Safety Campaign launch:
