Johannesburg -
The Gauteng Transport Department believes motorists are blatantly ignoring its safety campaigns, forcing it to come up with a new campaign aimed at shocking them into complying with road rules.
Spokesman Thapelo Moiloa said they had tried to educate motorists about the dangers of drinking and driving, speeding and illegal overtaking, but these had not helped in curbing road accidents.
Between December 1 last year and January 7 this year 1 376 people were killed in 1 147 road crashes.
Gauteng recorded 223 crashes which resulted in 268 fatalities. KwaZulu-Natal had 237 crashes and the highest number of deaths, 284.
This holiday season the department wants to reduce the fatalities and will place wrecked cars along major highways, at dangerous spots and at roadblocks.
The cars will be branded with road safety messages.
Moiloa said: “We are not changing our other strategies of educating people. This is just an add-on. We hope if motorists see a car taken from an accident scene they will adhere to the rules of the road.”
These wrecks will be placed at strategic sites across the province to alert road users to the dangers of irresponsible behaviour.
Wrecked cars will be placed at filling stations along major roads, at airports, at dangerous locations and at roadblocks.
The Mercury