Several car crashes on rebuilt M4
Former Eastern Province Cricket president Graeme Sauls has lambasted the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality after his daughter crashed her vehicle earlier this week on the M4, which has recently been resurfaced.
Sauls said the resurfacing of the freeway stretch running on the opposite side of the North End Prison was a death trap waiting to happen.
His daughter, Tamia Sauls, 18, had an accident on Wednesday morning and he later witnessed similar accidents on the same spot.
He said there were no signs warning motorists about the resurfaced road – meaning drivers slammed on brakes without warning.
In a letter to mayor Athol Trollip and transport political head Marlon Daniels, Sauls said he was angry about the situation.
“It as inconceivable that no safety precautions are evident on a busy highway such as the M4,” he said.
Tamia, a first-year law student at Nelson Mandela University, and two of her classmates were on their way to class in busy peak hour morning traffic when the accident occurred. They were travelling from Westering to Summerstrand.
“The car in front of her braked like hell when it hit the 10cm dip of the resurfaced part of the road,” Sauls said.
A taxi, travelling behind Tamia, had slammed on brakes, swerved and then hit the side of Tamia’s newly purchased Renault Kwid, Sauls said. She had received the car 10 days before. According to Sauls, while on the scene, a second accident almost happened and another at 2pm that day.
Tamia and her passengers were lucky to have escaped serious injury, Sauls said.
“She is receiving treatment for an injury to her neck but it could have been a lot worse.”
Municipal spokesman Mthubanzi Mniki confirmed Sauls’ letter and that the municipality was in contact with him regarding the accident.
“Signs have been erected at the site, but some motorists ignore the instructions of the signage. This results in accidents,” he said.
The R6-million upgrade project, including signs, was expected to be completed by the end of next month, weather permitting.
Asked if motorists could be compensated for damage caused to their vehicles should inadequate signs be the cause of an accident, Mniki said if negligence could be proven, claims should be submitted to the municipality’s legal department.
Sauls said Tamia’s car was with assessors at the moment, with estimated damages in the region of R100 000.
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