More than 50 die each day

MORE than 100 people die violent deaths in South Africa every day. The crime statistics list 47 murders every day, but omit more than 50 deaths every day on our roads, of which up to 90% are caused by crimes such as speeding and drunk driving.

As the Oscar Pistorius trial reminded us, deaths clearly foreseeable by the perpetrator amount to murder.

As those breaking road rules clearly foresee the likely deaths and injuries of those they victimise on the roads, any resulting deaths amount to murder in our law.

Accordingly the murder rate in South Africa probably exceeds 100 a day, bearing in mind that government habitually underreports road deaths in an effort to conceal its failure to act on our road carnage, which is among the worst in the world.

The Road Safety Action Campaign calls on the media to expose the true position and to demand action from government to end our appalling road carnage.

Richard Benson, Road Safety Action Campaign