Rivers of death

450 killed on SA roads


It has been a grim start to the 2011 festive season on South Africa's roads.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said 450 people have been killed over the past two weeks.

RTMC spokesperson Ashref Ismail said the accidents were caused by "excessive speeding, drinking and overloading".

Last weekend, at least 30 people were killed when an overloaded taxi collided with a truck in Harrismith in the Free State.

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No, mr RTMC person, you are entirely wrong, and being wrong is part of the "causes". Drinking is the only factor mentioned that causes accidents, the others only exacerbate them. Add to the list insufficient and ineffective policing, a completely unworkable and valueless licensing system, and people in responsible positions at the RTMC obviously having no clue about road safety. Government stonewalls any civic group that tries to address these issues, and is ONLY concerned with how best to rape the population financially.

May the poor dead rest in peace. Most were only passengers paying ridiculous sums to get home to their families for xmas. 450 families will be crying this season. And we haven't even reached the 15th, when most of the people start leave.

The title is "rivers of death", and that's how i see roads. Massive rivers flowing fast and carrying flotsam cars, swinging and swaying uncertainly, ready to crash into anything in it's path. Like a river full of crocodiles and snakes, any unwary moves could bring instant death, at any point near to it's blackness.