Living in SA is a killer, statistically speaking

L

Lord Anubis

Expert Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
3,763
Reaction score
0
Location
Valley Of The Kings
Lately I am appaled by the number of car I accidents I see in and around JHB/Vaal Triangle. Everyday I see at least one!!

I did a check on the arrive alive webpage and downloaded their stst report for 2006. Its just as shocking!

http://www.arrivealive.co.za/documents/27Jan2007_2006_Interim_Road_Traffic_Report.pdf


Statistically speaking its just as bad as the crime report

http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/reports/crimestats/2007/_pdf/rsa_total.pdf

In SA you stand an equal chance of dying by murder or dying by car accident...

The statistical evidence is mounting ...living here will kill you!!:(
 
People drive like ****ers thats why.
And the first person to complain about taxis will feel my wrath!

Young men in opel corsas, women in luxury 4X4s and idiot in BMWs and Subarus top my list of people who have no clue what a speed limit, STOP sign or traffic light are for.
 
Moederloos said:
People drive like ****ers thats why.
And the first person to complain about taxis will feel my wrath!

Young men in opel corsas, women in luxury 4X4s and idiot in BMWs and Subarus top my list of people who have no clue what a speed limit, STOP sign or traffic light are for.
Click to expand...
Taxis are a fair target because they tend to kill en masse and with some regularity.

I'll ready myself for your wrath shall I? ;)
 
Yeah, but you're better off in a car than walking.

Do culpable homicides (ie. you kill someone while driving under the influence) get counted on both sheets?
 
bwana said:
Taxis are a fair target because they tend to kill en masse and with some regularity.

I'll ready myself for your wrath shall I? ;)
Click to expand...

hehe. I was alluding more to the usual "why do the police not target taxis" arguments from the people with no licence plates, who cannot read a posted speed limit and have a blind spot when it comes to the word "STOP".

Feel free to complain about taxis, but do not use them as a shied to mitigate your own recklessness.
 
Moederloos said:
People drive like ****ers thats why.
And the first person to complain about taxis will feel my wrath!

Young men in opel corsas, women in luxury 4X4s and idiot in BMWs and Subarus top my list of people who have no clue what a speed limit, STOP sign or traffic light are for.
Click to expand...

I must agree with you. Whenever I have a "What the F what that guy thinking??!?!" moment it is one of the above mentioned cases.

BUT we have gotten so used to taxis stopping in the middle of the road/freeway/intersection/robot/circle/anywhere to pick up or drop of a passenger that we do not even get angry any more.
We have gotten so used to taxis pushing in at the front of a queue that we come to expect it.
We have gotten so used to taxis changing lanes by forcing you out of the way that you just give way when a taxi wobbles onto your side of his lane.
We have gotten so used to taxis moving at breakneck speeds that we jus do not care about it.
We have gotten so used to taxis running a red light or an "almost green" light that we take care at robots to avoid them.
We have gotten so used to the people streaming over the busy street when a taxi has stopped that we just dodge them.

But I agree, you do not expect a decent car with a decent driver to do any on the above. :eek:
 
In most instances it's not fair to call it an accident. That implies no-one's to blame.
 
In the last few years the roads have become far worse :eek:. My mother who never had a collision in something like 30 years of driving has had 4 or 5 in the last year. My father and friends all have as well. Even my sister who was away in London for 2 years came back and couldn't believe how road users behaved. Fortunately I have yet to have one but I've had a few close calls.

It's an acute symptom of the banana republic :sick:
 
Last edited:
Advanced driving courses should be made a requirement for getting your licensce. When I went to one I was suprised to see how many bad habits had crept into my driving. And learning defensive driving was the best thing out the course.

But they are not exactly cheap, I hear.
 
I agree that the quality of driving is terrible. However, it is difficult to say how bad until you go to another country where the driving is good.

However, more and more, I am feeling that citizens who obey the rules of the road should let themselves be heard. For example, if people try to jump a queue, don't let them in. If someone overtakes overtakes you on a solid line, put you hand on the hooter and pull a zap sign.

If everyone did it, people might get it into their thick skulls that such behaviour is unacceptable to the general population.
 
sox63 said:
Advanced driving courses should be made a requirement for getting your licensce. When I went to one I was suprised to see how many bad habits had crept into my driving. And learning defensive driving was the best thing out the course.

But they are not exactly cheap, I hear.
Click to expand...

That is somethig that I still want to do (oh yes and get a course for my wife that teaches her, when pulling away on a hill, you do not need to push the fuel pedal against the floor before letting go of the clutch and handbrake)
 
The bigger your car, the better your chances in an accident. So instead of accepting it, just drive slowly in a big ol' Jeep or a big ol' double cab.
 
Tassidar said:
For example, if people try to jump a queue, don't let them in.
Click to expand...

Doesn't work, the person behind you ALWAYS gives the idiot a place...

Tassidar said:
If someone overtakes overtakes you on a solid line, put you hand on the hooter and pull a zap sign.
Click to expand...

Firstly, its illegal to pull a zap sign on another drivers, secondly, they usually pull one back at you and then the poo flies at the next red traffic light both of you get stuck next to each other... I know from experience :o
 
The "dirty look" does wonders. As does "lead by example".

I have noticed that if I come to a full and complete STOP before the driver on the other side of the road does, they also STOP. If they get there before me, 9 out of 10 simply slow down - the 10th does not even bother doing that much.

Some female excrement almost drove into me 10 mins ago - she did not simply "cut the corner" when turning into my street, but drove completely in my lane. South Africa has got to have amongst the worst drivers in the world.

As usual, I now expect the team of people who will claim that speed is fine - slow drivers are the problem, etc to come out of the woodwork and defend their recklessness.
 
Moederloos said:
Some female excrement almost drove into me 10 mins ago - she did not simply "cut the corner" when turning into my street, but drove completely in my lane. South Africa has got to have amongst the worst drivers in the world.
Click to expand...

Hehehe :D.

Seriously though, why are their no designated places for taxis to stop? In my experience, taxis cause all the k@k by stopping in the bloody middle of the road. Also, how the frack does the pointing up/down thing work? up=uptown and down=downtown? :confused:
 
/pops out of the woodwork ..

"speed is fine - slow drivers are the problem"

Well no, not quite. But speed isn't the sole cause of all traffic problems as the propaganda machinewould have you believe. Speed is however a force multiplyer. If you are driving fast, the effects of anything else that happens becomes so much worse.

South African's have always been addicted to speed. But what I have very clearly seen over the last few years, is that general respect for any road laws has dissapeared. Every time I drive anywhere in my car I see people driving through red, robots, stop signs etc. As well as general reckless driving.

I believe the appaling driving in SA and resultant statistics are caused by three things (mainly):

1) Authorities focus almost exclusively on enforcing speed regulations. One barely trained dude with a camera and laser can make his weight in gold in on one of their typical 6 lane 60 zones. Only token efforts are made as regards all the other offences. Takes too long and just doesn't bring in the money as fast.

2) Apparently only 25%-30% of traffic fines are ever paid. So basically their enforcement is up to crap! This means that the bad guys carry on doing what they want as they please, while only the relatively good guys get punished.

3) Cape Town drivers. What the hell is it with them??? ;)
 
feo said:
Hehehe :D.

Seriously though, why are their no designated places for taxis to stop? In my experience, taxis cause all the k@k by stopping in the bloody middle of the road. Also, how the frack does the pointing up/down thing work? up=uptown and down=downtown? :confused:
Click to expand...

Two sides to this:

One: There is often no where for them to stop - bad planning by government (and, yes, this is even on new roads).
Two: Often taxis do stop in sensible places - or in the best alternative. And then again, often they don't.

Much like the w@nker who will park in the handicapped bays at the mall, or on the yellow line outside the entrance, or on the curb .....

Taxi drivers are awful for the most part - no argument there. But, so are most "personal" drivers.
 
Moederloos said:
Two sides to this:

One: There is often no where for them to stop - bad planning by government (and, yes, this is even on new roads).
Two: Often taxis do stop in sensible places - or in the best alternative. And then again, often they don't.

Much like the w@nker who will park in the handicapped bays at the mall, or on the yellow line outside the entrance, or on the curb .....

Taxi drivers are awful for the most part - no argument there. But, so are most "personal" drivers.
Click to expand...
Whenever the guys at the mall steal the handicapped spot, I always feel like going up to them and saying "You're mentally handicapped, right? :D"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X