Pretoria - A massive road safety campaign is to be launched to communities across the Northern Cape.
The campaign, which started this week, carried out by the Department of Transport, Safety and Liaisonwill, will stretch to communities in Pella, Petrusville, Barkley West, Garies, Winsorton, Richmond and Prieska.
This will not only be driven by the department’s road safety unit, but will become the responsibility of all managers and staff.
The department’s communication officer, Keitumetse Moticoe, said the campaign hopes to save lives and help community members make safe and informed decisions on the roads.
He said simple acts of not speeding, buckling up, driving and walking sober are all practices that can help save lives if practised.
Head of Department, Steven Jonkers, said the campaign forms part of its continuous roll out of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 – 2020.
“As we have been saying, we are taking road safety very seriously and we are continuing with our 365 Road Safety Campaign hence we have tasked managers to take to the communities and educate our people about road safety.
“We are requesting communities to join hands with government in its efforts to make roads safe for all road users.”
Addressing about 500 residents of Pella, Henry Van Coller, a manager at the department said: “We want to inculcate a culture of road safety in our scholars and for them to become ambassadors for road safety. They need to know that a crash can ruin lives and it leaves pain in the families that are left behind”.
He said with the festive season fast approaching, it was even more important for people to adapt to the culture of making safe road usage decisions as it will be easier to apply in everyday life.
“We want people to take road safety seriously and report reckless and drunken driving to the police or traffic officials.
“They must write down the number plates and report it,” said Van Coller.
Moticoe said the campaign will end next week Friday, November 14. - SAnews.gov.za
