(Twitter screenshot)
(Twitter screenshot)
After 26 people lost their lives in another devastating N1 accident in Limpopo, questions have been raised over the stretch of road that has claimed so many fatalities recently.
Just last month, a bus overturned just a few miles away from this most recent accident in Kranskop, killing 10 people. The driver attempted to flee the scene near Mookgophong but was eventually caught by authorities.
This part of the freeway has been lambasted by those who frequent it the most, and commuters have had plenty to say over the weekend. In fact, Transport Minister Blade Nzimande confirmed his team of investigators are now looking into the “road engineering”.
That stretch of the road between Kranskop and Plk must be separated . We pay too much money on tollgates on that highway #N1Accident
— Maemo (@Sir_Status) October 19, 2018
The N1 in Limpopo appears on a “high accident zone” list that was published last year. This is what needs reassessing, as local motorists clamour for more protection on the roads.
N1 Accident: What makes the road in Limpopo
so dangerous:
Narrow and poorly-maintained lanes
Between Kranskop and Mookgopong, the road surface is rough and not maintained very well. Users have also complained about the narrowness of each lane, both northbound and southbound. Getting past a slow-moving vehicle where the roads merge can be a harrowing task.
Poor separation of north and south carriageways
Commuters raised the issue of separation on Friday. The N1 north and south roads are separated by a thin strip of cats eyes and road markings.
No central reservations
This problem ties in with the previous one. With no firm, concrete barrier in between each stretch of road, it’s sometimes to difficult to know which lane belongs to which direction. Tragically, the crash that killed 26 travellers occurred when a lorry burst its tyre and swerved into oncoming traffic.
The damage – and certainly the death toll – could have been reduced significantly had the out-of-control vehicle been brought to a stop on its own side of the freeway.
Speed limits
It’s 120km/h on either side of the N1. With the fast lanes in this area being within touching distance of each other, there’s an increased danger of head-on collisions ending in instant death. These are all the factors that Nzimande and his team will have to consider during their inspections.
