9 killed after construction vehicle overturns on Ou Kaapse Weg

[Gordon_R]

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/...n-vehicle-overturns-on-ou-kaapse-weg-20190921

Nine people have died, and 14 others were injured after a construction vehicle lost control and overturned several times on the Ou Kaapse Weg in Steenberg on Saturday morning.

According to City of Cape Town traffic spokesperson Maxine Bezuidenhout, the victims were sitting on the back of the vehicle when it overturned at around 02:00 in the morning.

Edit: similar version of story: https://www.arrivealive.co.za/news....n-Ou-Kaapse-Weg-in-early-hours-of-the-morning

 

[supersunbird]

The pic in the article is of a bakkie? Is that the "construction vehicle"? 23 people in/on the bakkie?

 

[marco79]

I cant see the picture. Its so sad that this would happen to these people. It is the responsibility of their employer to transport them safely.

Criminal steps should be taken against contractors who transport their staff illegally on the back of pakkies.

 

[Gordon_R]

The pic in the article is of a bakkie? Is that the "construction vehicle"? 23 people in/on the bakkie?

Details are not clear. Sometimes its just a stock-photo, unrelated to the actual event.

Edit: Image caption says ER24 supplied, so anything is possible:

 

[marco79]

Details are not clear. Sometimes its just a stock-photo, unrelated to the actual event.

That's what I'm thinking.

A vehicle that overturns at 2am was probably speeding.

 

[Gordon_R]

That's what I'm thinking.

A vehicle that overturns at 2am was probably speeding.

Going downhill on Ou Kaapse Weg there are some serious hairpin bends, anything above 40km/h on those is scary! Brake failure is a possibility, if they were not using engine braking.

 

[supersunbird]

Never mind that if it was indeed the bakkie, it was seriously overloaded.

 

[The_Mowgs]

I cant see the picture. Its so sad that this would happen to these people. It is the responsibility of their employer to transport them safely.

Criminal steps should be taken against contractors who transport their staff illegally on the back of pakkies.

It was on the back of a bakkie, not a Pakistani

 

[Gordon_R]

SABC radio news says brakes were faulty. Driver survived but fled the scene...

https://citizen.co.za/news/south-af...-construction-vehicle-overturns-in-cape-town/

Western Cape traffic chief Kenny Africa confirmed that a tenth person later died in hospital.

 

[ForceFate]

I cant see the picture. Its so sad that this would happen to these people. It is the responsibility of their employer to transport them safely.

Criminal steps should be taken against contractors who transport their staff illegally on the back of pakkies.

Transportation Of People On Goods Vehicles

Introduction We often drive past Arrive Alive billboards with the words “Road Deaths are No Accident”. This message is meant to show that Road Deaths from Crashes are seldom “Accidents” - They are most often Preventable! Some of the most distressing road crashes are those

www.arrivealive.co.za

 

[ForceFate]

RIP and condolences.

There are instances where workers are overworked and still expected to drive over 100km back to their homes. By overworked, I mean work well beyond 12 hours that day.

 

[Defiler]

RIP.

That's terrible and could have probably been prevented. I used to drive over Ou Kaapse almost six times a week for over 10 years and have seen some pretty horrific accidents. A friend of mine lost his leg a few years ago.

Many of those accidents could have been prevented if they had a traffic cop pulling over overloaded vehicles or reckless drivers at the Silvermine turnoff, think I only saw traffic cops on Ou Kaapse two or three times.

A lot of accidents are either overloaded vehicles such as in this case or people that become impatient because of idiot drivers driving at 40km/h holding everyone up and then the impatient drivers overtaking three or four cars at a time, often on blind bends and then having head-on collisions.

 

[BTTB]

RIP.

That's terrible and could have probably been prevented. I used to drive over Ou Kaapse almost six times a week for over 10 years and have seen some pretty horrific accidents. A friend of mine lost his leg a few years ago.

Many of those accidents could have been prevented if they had a traffic cop pulling over overloaded vehicles or reckless drivers at the Silvermine turnoff, think I only saw traffic cops on Ou Kaapse two or three times.

A lot of accidents are either overloaded vehicles such as in this case or people that become impatient because of idiot drivers driving at 40km/h holding everyone up and then the impatient drivers overtaking three or four cars at a time, often on blind bends and then having head-on collisions.

I so wish people would simply drive the speed limit, its so frustrating sitting behind someone that seems to have fallen asleep behind the wheel.

 

[ForceFate]

I so wish people would simply drive the speed limit, its so frustrating sitting behind someone that seems to have fallen asleep behind the wheel.

Cellphones.

 

[daveza]

Get fined if you drive without your seat-belt.

Don't get fined if you have an open bakkie full of people not strapped in ....

 

[D tj]

Sheez! Some real righteous folks here, whom I'm sure pay more than asked by contractors to ensure their staff's welfare in busses or other transport on completion the work done for them!!

 

[D tj]

Sadly, likely a poorly serviced vehicle combined with a little nip of OBs, and poor driving skill, tiredness and overload.....all greatly (except the OBs) assisted by under fair payment.

 

[BTTB]

Get fined if you drive without your seat-belt.

Don't get fined if you have an open bakkie full of people not strapped in ....

Yup. People should check their licence token displayed on their window, it reflects the quantity of people allowed in that particular vehicle. For example extended cabs like mine, it’s only licensed for 3 people. The Traffic Department doesn't police this anomaly at all, I think for them it’s about the Tare and they are happy. So its common place seeing people riding around on the back of LDV’s in ZA and unfortunately dangerous too.

Furthermore we have this odd rule from SARS that prevents you claiming back VAT on a Double Cab LDV when in reality that vehicle has 5 seats and safety belts and could save lives in event of a sudden stop or accident.
For example let’s take a Painting Business with 4 or 5 staff members that uses a LDV as its primary transport, this business could seat its entire staff inside the one cab with seatbelts. One could blame the business for being cheap and not buying the Double Cab but businessman like to save so we continue to have people riding on the back of single or extended cab vehicles and SARS (Government) couldn’t be bothered about health and safety issues, so long as they get their taxes.

 

[jack_spratt]

Get fined if you drive without your seat-belt.

Don't get fined if you have an open bakkie full of people not strapped in ....

Its impossible, in SA, to supply seat belts on the back of a bakkie.

 

[daveza]

Its impossible, in SA, to supply seat belts on the back of a bakkie.

Then it shouldn't carry people.

I really don't understand the logic that says bakkies, taxis and buses are exempt from securing passengers when a crash would kill far more than a sedan.