Pretoria - Transport Deputy Minister Sindisiwe Chikunga will today interact with holidaymakers in a Road Safety Beach Festival at Durban's beachfront.
The deputy minister will interact with the public as part of the 2012 National Festive Season Road Safety Campaign to reduce the carnage on South Africa's roads.
The Deputy Minister will be joined by Eastern Cape MEC for Roads and Transport, Thandiswa Marawu, road traffic law enforcement officers, the South African Police Service, senior national and provincial government officials and key transport sector stakeholders.
Chikunga will emphasise the importance and personal responsibility each road user has to use the road correctly. She will also speak on the dangers of drinking and driving and walking, as well as the importance of keeping within the prescribed speed limit, among others.
Law enforcement officers have stepped up road safety operations throughout the country this festive period in order to reduce the carnage on the roads.
Transport Minister Ben Martins has also expressed concern at the carnage on South African roads.
Over 1 000 people have so far been reported as having died due to road crashes since 1 December 2012.
Meanwhile, five people were hurt in an accident along the N1 outside Bloemfontein on Friday morning.
"Reports indicate that a vehicle lost control and overturned. A second vehicle then collided with the first vehicle while it was overturning. Five people were injured during this accident," said Netcare 911 paramedics.
One passenger was entrapped in the vehicle and officers on the scene had to use the jaws of life to free the passenger from the vehicle.
One person was critically injured while another sustained serious injuries and the other three sustained moderate injuries.
"All the injured people were treated and stabilised on scene before being transported to various hospitals in the area for the medical care that they required," said Netcare 911. - SAnews.gov.za
