Hazel Souma was handed a certificate for her blemish-free run of more than six decades by Transport Minister Sbusiso Ndebele
South Africa on Tuesday honoured an 80-year-old driver as a “sterling example” for going 62 years without a single traffic fine, in a nation where 40 people are killed on the roads every day.
Hazel Souma was handed a certificate for her blemish-free run of more than six decades by Transport Minister Sbusiso Ndebele.
“Ms Souma’s unblemished driving record and sterling example is proof that we can put an end to the carnage on our roads,” he said.
South Africa’s roads regularly see reckless driving, with a motorcyclist on Monday nabbed for travelling at 220 kilometres per hour in a 120-kilometre zone.
While death tolls have dipped slightly, more than six million fines were issued between October 2010 and last year and more than 21,000 drunk drivers arrested.
In a statement issued after the event, the Minister said:
"We can all concede that during this 62-year driving period, Ms Souma was tempted to speed at some point; at some stage she must have been late, and sometimes she drove under stress or boredom.
"But what makes her unique is that, amid the numerous challenges she encountered as a young driver at the age of 18 up until today at her age of 80, she never presented any traffic officer any opportunity to issue her with a traffic fine. Remarkable, indeed.
"However, we have come to learn that there are many other drivers in our country just like Hazel Souma, who have been driving for decades, and have never received a single traffic fine.
"Those who are turning our roads into killing fields are a minority, and they must be isolated and exposed for their deeds are not only a danger to themselves, but pose a real threat to the sustainability of society.
"We want drunk drivers, reckless and negligent drivers and inconsiderate drivers to have their actions disowned by their own families and friends for their destructive ways are deadly!"
Over the past five days, more than 36 people were killed in separate road crashes, he said.
In one case (on 12 March), 11 people were killed in a collision between a truck and a Toyota Venture on the R56 near uMzimkhulu in KwaZulu-Natal.
On Sunday (11 March), 6 people were killed in a collision near Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
On Saturday (10 March) evening, seven people died when a car slammed into a group of pedestrians in Tshaulu, near Thohoyandou, in Limpopo. The drivers of two cars were allegedly speeding, when the driver of one car veered into a group of pedestrians.
Last Thursday (8 March), 12 people were killed in a head-on collision near Queenstown in the Eastern Cape.
"South Africans must value life!
"It cannot be considered normal that every day more than 40 people are killed on our roads, and every month we count no less than one thousand soul-less bodies due to road crashes, most of which could have been avoided."
He said that together with the Ministries of Justice and Police, as well as the National Prosecuting Authority, "we will continue to go all out to ensure that dangerous drivers are removed from the roads".
"We want 2012 to be the year of action for safer roads.
"Coupled with intensified and uncompromising law enforcement, accompanied by harsher sanctions, we want to drive social conduct change programmes that would have as their primary objective to speak to the human beings behind the drivers of these vehicles we see on our roads daily."
Last week, more than 250,000 vehicles and drivers were stopped and checked, and several motorists arrested.
Last month (February 2012), the minister said 338,384 fines were issued across the country for various traffic offences, and 6,587 motorists were arrested including 1,686 for drinking and driving, 74 for reckless and/or negligent driving and 236 for excessive speed. More than 5,000 (5,164) un-roadworthy vehicles were removed from the roads.
From October 2010 to October 2011, more than 15 million (15,051,565) vehicles and drivers were checked, more than six million (6,287,308) fines issued for various traffic offences, 21,575 drunk drivers arrested and 60,313 un-roadworthy vehicles (the majority of which are buses and taxis) discontinued from use.
Sentences imposed by the courts include hefty fines, imprisonment without the option of a fine as well as suspension/cancellation of driving licences. These motorists now also have criminal records.
"Although these programmes have resulted in a slight year-on-year reduction in road deaths, a great deal of work must still be done in line with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
Road deaths dropped by 75% during the past (2011/12) December holidays on Africa’s busiest corridor, the N3 highway between Heidelberg in Gauteng and Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal.
In the Western Cape, MEC Carlisle has announced that “for the first time in more than five years the February Western Cape road death toll has dropped to under 100. Road fatalities in February 2012 fell from 129 last year, to 99, a decrease of 23.2%. Overall the 12-month fatality figures have now fallen from 1772 as at the 1st of January 2009, to 1289 at the end of February 2012”.
Going forward, the Minister said government would soon officially launch a new road safety strategy: “Towards Safe Roads in South Africa — 2015”.
"We are currently implementing several measures which, we have no doubt, will help us deal with this challenge of road carnage, including:
- Road Safety Education at Schools,
- Community Road Safety Councils,
- Friends of the Decade forum,
- Zenani Mandela Road Safety Scholarship and Voluntary Traffic Observers.
SA hails octogenerian for 62 years of no traffic fines
Hazel Souma was handed a certificate for her blemish-free run of more than six decades by Transport Minister Sbusiso Ndebele
South Africa on Tuesday honoured an 80-year-old driver as a “sterling example” for going 62 years without a single traffic fine, in a nation where 40 people are killed on the roads every day.
Hazel Souma was handed a certificate for her blemish-free run of more than six decades by Transport Minister Sbusiso Ndebele.
“Ms Souma’s unblemished driving record and sterling example is proof that we can put an end to the carnage on our roads,” he said.
South Africa’s roads regularly see reckless driving, with a motorcyclist on Monday nabbed for travelling at 220 kilometres per hour in a 120-kilometre zone.
While death tolls have dipped slightly, more than six million fines were issued between October 2010 and last year and more than 21,000 drunk drivers arrested.
In a statement issued after the event, the Minister said:
"We can all concede that during this 62-year driving period, Ms Souma was tempted to speed at some point; at some stage she must have been late, and sometimes she drove under stress or boredom.
"But what makes her unique is that, amid the numerous challenges she encountered as a young driver at the age of 18 up until today at her age of 80, she never presented any traffic officer any opportunity to issue her with a traffic fine. Remarkable, indeed.
"However, we have come to learn that there are many other drivers in our country just like Hazel Souma, who have been driving for decades, and have never received a single traffic fine.
"Those who are turning our roads into killing fields are a minority, and they must be isolated and exposed for their deeds are not only a danger to themselves, but pose a real threat to the sustainability of society.
"We want drunk drivers, reckless and negligent drivers and inconsiderate drivers to have their actions disowned by their own families and friends for their destructive ways are deadly!"
Over the past five days, more than 36 people were killed in separate road crashes, he said.
In one case (on 12 March), 11 people were killed in a collision between a truck and a Toyota Venture on the R56 near uMzimkhulu in KwaZulu-Natal.
On Sunday (11 March), 6 people were killed in a collision near Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
On Saturday (10 March) evening, seven people died when a car slammed into a group of pedestrians in Tshaulu, near Thohoyandou, in Limpopo. The drivers of two cars were allegedly speeding, when the driver of one car veered into a group of pedestrians.
Last Thursday (8 March), 12 people were killed in a head-on collision near Queenstown in the Eastern Cape.
"South Africans must value life!
"It cannot be considered normal that every day more than 40 people are killed on our roads, and every month we count no less than one thousand soul-less bodies due to road crashes, most of which could have been avoided."
He said that together with the Ministries of Justice and Police, as well as the National Prosecuting Authority, "we will continue to go all out to ensure that dangerous drivers are removed from the roads".
"We want 2012 to be the year of action for safer roads.
"Coupled with intensified and uncompromising law enforcement, accompanied by harsher sanctions, we want to drive social conduct change programmes that would have as their primary objective to speak to the human beings behind the drivers of these vehicles we see on our roads daily."
Last week, more than 250,000 vehicles and drivers were stopped and checked, and several motorists arrested.
Last month (February 2012), the minister said 338,384 fines were issued across the country for various traffic offences, and 6,587 motorists were arrested including 1,686 for drinking and driving, 74 for reckless and/or negligent driving and 236 for excessive speed. More than 5,000 (5,164) un-roadworthy vehicles were removed from the roads.
From October 2010 to October 2011, more than 15 million (15,051,565) vehicles and drivers were checked, more than six million (6,287,308) fines issued for various traffic offences, 21,575 drunk drivers arrested and 60,313 un-roadworthy vehicles (the majority of which are buses and taxis) discontinued from use.
Sentences imposed by the courts include hefty fines, imprisonment without the option of a fine as well as suspension/cancellation of driving licences. These motorists now also have criminal records.
"Although these programmes have resulted in a slight year-on-year reduction in road deaths, a great deal of work must still be done in line with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.
Road deaths dropped by 75% during the past (2011/12) December holidays on Africa’s busiest corridor, the N3 highway between Heidelberg in Gauteng and Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal.
In the Western Cape, MEC Carlisle has announced that “for the first time in more than five years the February Western Cape road death toll has dropped to under 100. Road fatalities in February 2012 fell from 129 last year, to 99, a decrease of 23.2%. Overall the 12-month fatality figures have now fallen from 1772 as at the 1st of January 2009, to 1289 at the end of February 2012”.
Going forward, the Minister said government would soon officially launch a new road safety strategy: “Towards Safe Roads in South Africa — 2015”.
"We are currently implementing several measures which, we have no doubt, will help us deal with this challenge of road carnage, including:
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos