Truck accidents the startling reality

It is the task of the Road Traffic Management Corporation [RTMC] to compile and research crash statistics in SA. And SA, it said, as a developing country, has an unacceptably high rate of road traffic accidents. There are more than 14 000 fatalities and an estimated 150 000 injuries per year. But it’s truck accidents that make the headline news. And a primary indication of just how bad this problem can be is to look at the statistics for Durban. It’s the busiest trucking city in the country, because about 7 500 trucks a day are required just to handle the transport needs generated by the Port of Durban. And about 20% (roughly 1 500 a day) of them pour in from all around the country and overborder. To add insult to injury, the eThekwini transport authority records an annoyingly similar figure of about 7 400 accidents involving trucks on municipal roads in any one year. Rear-ending and sideswiping while travelling in the same direction are the most common causes of accidents – accounting for around 55% of them. It’s also worth noting that most accidents take place on weekdays, and outside peak traffic periods.