Road-death statistics released by the Road Traffic Management Corporation this week, make for grim reading - showing that 15 300 people die on South African roads every year.

Road-death statistics released by the Road Traffic Management Corporation this week, make for grim reading - showing that 15 300 people die on South African roads every year.

Translating to an alarming 42 deaths a day on our roads, the deaths stem from pedestrian jay-walking, drunken driving, unroadworthy vehicles and speeding. All these factors are familiar to a South African public long reeling from shockingly high road death figures.

True, as the corporation has pointed out, drastic measures are needed to counter the trend. But all that is already known even by perpetual road traffic offenders who take advantage of the apparent lax traffic law enforcement with impunity.

Until we develop a road safety culture intolerant of the contributing factors, we will still be saddled with this problem for years to come.