Picture: THINKSTOCK
Picture: THINKSTOCK

Related articles

OUR editorials are often related to road safety. Those who choose to ignore the issues on our roads are probably tired of them and shrug them off, but our view is that if just one bad driver heeds the message and changes their behaviour the nagging is worthwhile. That change in behaviour could save a life.

Recently we saw the unnecessary deaths of two cyclists in Durban. The circumstances are tragic, but one need not look far from home to see how quickly things can go badly wrong.

The Times Media Group offices are in Rosebank and every day our journalists pile out of the building and cross a road lined with No Stopping signs. It also has a red line painted all along the kerbside.

For those who don’t know (and why don’t you?) a red line means strictly no stopping under any circumstances, except in an emergency. The Joburg Metro Police might want to know that too.

The team managing the area has put trees in big pots along the road in a bid to stop idiots from pulling over there in total disregard of the No Stopping signs and the red line. People still park there. Why? Because no-one stops them.

The Rosebank security guys do their best but generally get told where to go by arrogant or ignorant motorists. Occasionally the metro police do a little blitz and tow transgressors away.

During a walk along this road with colleagues, I had to skirt around a Range Rover Sport (pictured), whose driver not only ignored the signs, but parked two thirds across a pedestrian crossing at a stop street. Seriously?

This is not only illegal, but extremely dangerous. What if a pedestrian trying to cross the road stepped out onto the crossing and a driver ploughed into them because they could not see each other?

The driver of the Range Rover highlights one of the major issues affecting road safety in SA: people just do not care.

As it turns out, said Range Rover driver works on a project renovating a building in the Rosebank CBD. If this gentleman lacks the intelligence to park properly, we can only wonder how he can be trusted with a building.

We don’t always agree with Transport Minister Dipuo Peters, but when she says that road safety is the responsibility of every motorist, she is quite right. Take responsibility, adhere to the laws and, above all, respect your fellow human beings.

Road safety is not just about speeding, it’s about getting the basics right. Change your attitude and you could save a life — it might even be your own.