The Boksburg Tanker Explosion that
claimed the lives of forty people
on Christmas eve is symptomatic
of a country that is at the edge of a
precipice.
With more than a thousand
people killed on South African roads
during the past month-long holiday
season, we remain numb to the news
of road related deaths. We have be-
come so insensitive to the needless
and senseless loss of lives that we
have normalised dying on our roads
as an unfortunate expectation.
Daily, an average of forty people
die on South African roads with up
to 35% comprising of pedestrians.
This puts us amongst the top ten
worst countries in Africa and in the
top 25 worst in the rest of the world
when comparing road deaths.
The road transport system
which is the lifeblood of any vibrant
economy, is the heartbeat of a
flourishing and prosperous society.
Safety, security, efficacy and
efficiency separates first world from
third world environments.
More than ever before we are
beginning to see the scourge of
bad driving increasing amongst the
heavy vehicle sector. Following the
Shocking, tragic
but not surprising
BUSINESS FLEET AFRICA | January 2023
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RoaD safeTY
More than ever before we are
beginning to see the scourge of
bad driving increasing amongst
the heavy vehicle sector.
Following the Boksburg tanker
explosion, there have been four
other tanker-related crashes in the
country. And this will continue,
as unscrupulous operators, hire
drivers with dodgy credentials,
providing no advanced, defensive
driver training, overloading
their vehicles, cutting on key
maintenance and asking their
drivers to drive longer hours
without reasonable breaks.