The festive mood is now fully upon us and this weekend marks the start of the annual road traffic trips out of urban centres such as Gauteng to the coastal or rural areas.
For many families, this is the time they look most forward to in 12 months to be reunited with loved ones and celebrate over food and drinks. It is a time to cherish, with music, moments shared and decorations shimmering.
There will be many celebrations in the coming weeks, including reunions, family gatherings and the welcoming home of initiates after successful completion of their coming-of-age passage.
Whatever the traditions are, holidays also provide the necessary break to workers who toil throughout the year to make a living for the future of their families. It is also a time for recovery for students who get to reconnect with their loved ones.
The days between now and Christmas are going to be the busiest in terms of travel and leisure. There are also going to be a variety of big public events that will draw large crowds, as people will want to create memories that they will cherish for years to come.
But holidays in SA are not just about all that’s festive and joyful. Fatal road crashes have also become a common feature of this period, with tragically high numbers of people losing their lives on the roads.
Although the latest figures of road fatalities indicate there’s been a slight decline in deaths related to crashes, the statistics remain stubbornly high, making our roads the deadliest in the world.
Speeding, reckless and negligent driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol are some of the major contributors to these fatalities. It is, therefore, essential that we all take responsibility to ensure our roads are safe by adhering to the rules of the road, not drinking and driving and taking rests during long-distance travel.
Road safety campaigns and law enforcement operations targeted around this time have proven over the years not to be sufficient to end the carnage on our roads. Despite some best efforts by the authorities to police our national highways, they remain dangerous for families embarking on a joyful journey to various destinations and arriving alive.
Our hope is that this year we can all spend this festive season with those we love, be merry and joyful and safe. There will be plenty of memories created, but those are best enjoyed when we all arrive at our various destinations alive.
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