Reports about South African road deaths are worrying, and it seems there is little effort to make positive changes.
Reports about South African road deaths are worrying, and it seems there is little effort to make positive changes.
I am a South African who has lived all my adult life outside South Africa. I learnt to drive in Kenya many years ago and, since then, I have driven everywhere and enjoyed it. That is, until 1994 when we moved to Johannesburg. There we found driving a nightmare and it was a relief when we returned home.
Then, a few years ago, we did a lot of long-distance driving which left me not wanting to see the inside of a vehicle again. At that point, we returned to Ireland.
Lorries intimidating other road users, the lack of control of the taxis, particularly of overloading and speeding, and the lack of control of alcohol consumption while driving, are frightening and have left me with a fear of driving or even being a passenger.
The evidence of this is in the road accident figures.
It is high time South Africans loved life and behaved accordingly. In most countries, drinking and driving are not permitted and transgressors face heavy fines and loss of their licence.
There are ways of driving that can be enjoyable and one still gets to one's destination without speeding.
Rose Tuelo Brock, Ireland
SA roads induce a fear of driving
Reports about South African road deaths are worrying, and it seems there is little effort to make positive changes.
Reports about South African road deaths are worrying, and it seems there is little effort to make positive changes.
I am a South African who has lived all my adult life outside South Africa. I learnt to drive in Kenya many years ago and, since then, I have driven everywhere and enjoyed it. That is, until 1994 when we moved to Johannesburg. There we found driving a nightmare and it was a relief when we returned home.
Then, a few years ago, we did a lot of long-distance driving which left me not wanting to see the inside of a vehicle again. At that point, we returned to Ireland.
Lorries intimidating other road users, the lack of control of the taxis, particularly of overloading and speeding, and the lack of control of alcohol consumption while driving, are frightening and have left me with a fear of driving or even being a passenger.
The evidence of this is in the road accident figures.
It is high time South Africans loved life and behaved accordingly. In most countries, drinking and driving are not permitted and transgressors face heavy fines and loss of their licence.
There are ways of driving that can be enjoyable and one still gets to one's destination without speeding.
Rose Tuelo Brock, Ireland