Easter road safety campaign launched by Minister Mackenzie
On Saturday, 23 March 2024, the Western Cape Government (WCG) officially launched our Easter road safety campaign for 2024. The launch took place at Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell, where we are offering free vehicle testing to help motorists prepare for long-distance travel. We need all road users to take personal responsibility for road safety.
The Western Cape Government is ready for Easter, doing everything possible to keep our residents and visitors safe on the roads during this busy holiday period.
With the school holidays already started, our Provincial Traffic teams are out in full force with high visibility patrols targeting moving violations, interprovincial corridor operations, K78 roadblocks focused on ‘exodus’ traffic, and fatigue management interventions. Our Road Safety Officers are also deployed across the province to raise awareness about how to be safe while travelling.
In planning for this Easter period, we looked at the lessons learned during the December Festive Season to see how we could do things differently and enhance our efforts to prevent traffic crashes and fatalities. Our operational deployments are informed by data analysis and boosted by advanced systems and technology.
We are targeting pedestrian safety, driver and vehicle fitness, and ensuring that interventions respond to local challenges. Enforcement during this period focuses on inconsiderate driver behaviour, speeding, drunk driving, passenger overloading (in all types of vehicles), fatigue, and unroadworthy vehicles. We are prioritising systematic vehicle inspections of buses, trucks, and light delivery vehicles (bakkies), which have been involved in many fatal crashes over the last month.
However, no matter how intensive our road safety campaign might be, we still face the enormous challenge of changing road user behaviour.
This week, we have already seen multiple fatal crashes where the alleged cause was inconsiderate driving or moving violations such as speeding or ignoring traffic signs and road rules.
We need a collective effort to reduce the number of people losing their lives on our roads; not just from enforcement agencies and road safety practitioners, but from our society at large.
Our traffic officers work hard 24 hours a day, often sacrificing precious time with their families. This Easter, I urge everyone travelling, whether long- or short-distance, to support us in the drive to reduce road fatalities in the Western Cape. Please do your part. We are committed to doing our very best to protect you out there.
Free vehicle testing
Thank you to the Drakenstein Municipality and the private Airport Vehicle Testing Centres for joining us in offering free vehicle checks to the public as part of our Easter road safety campaign.
Please take up this opportunity to check that your vehicle is roadworthy. Our aim is not to catch anyone out, but to help detect potential problems before you take to the road for long-distance travel. We want you and your loved ones to travel safely over this holiday period.
The free ten-point vehicle inspection covers essential components such as tyres, brakes, lights, suspension, CV joints, electrical systems, exhaust, wipers, licence discs, and more.
Free vehicle testing is available at:
Gene Louw Traffic Training College (Brackenfell Boulevard, Brackenfell)
23 March: 08h00 – 15h00
25 to 26 March: 10h00 – 20h00
27 March: 08h00 – 15h00
Drakenstein Municipal Traffic Centres (c/o Jan Van Riebeek and Edison Road, Paarl)
23 March: 08h00 – 14h00
Airport Vehicle Testing Centres (AVTS)
23 March: 08h00 – 12h00
25 to 28 March: 08h00 – 16h30
Airport Vehicle Testing Centres can be found at:
- AVTS Airport, Boston Circle, Airport Industria
- AVTS Belville, Duminy/Voortrekker Rd, Bellville
- AVTS CBD, 86 Sir Lowry Rd, Cape Town
- AVTS Kenilworth, 422 Imam Haron Rd, Lansdowne
- AVTS Strand, 3 Calvyn Str, Strand
- AVTS Table View, 139 Blaauwberg Rd, Table View
- AVTS Wingfield, Olympic Park, Voortrekker Rd, Goodwood
For more information about the free vehicle testing, please call 021 983 1500.
MEDIA QUERIES:
Rebecca Campbell
Spokesperson for Minister Ricardo Mackenzie
076 783 2583 or Rebecca.Campbell@westerncape.gov.za