Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has welcomed the Automobile Association’s (AA) country-wide initiative of establishing a network of employers for traffic safety (NETS) that can work together to reduce traffic-related deaths.
"The Department of Transport welcomes the NETS programme by the AA to reduce traffic-related deaths. The duty to ensure safety on our roads is everybody’s business. We must create a new breed of road users in South Africa who will be at the forefront of a culture change which we must not only see but also all seek to become.
"Road deaths affect urban and rural, young and old, rich and poor. As South Africans, we must change our attitude towards road safety and stop the carnage on the roads. The children of today, the drivers of the future, must lead the shift from a culture of lawlessness to a new culture which values one’s life and treasures that of others. Society must frown upon bad driving and report it. The road is a shared public space and the first place where we should exercise democracy. We must become more responsible on the roads.
"We are confident that the NETS initiative of the AA will assist towards addressing the challenge of road traffic fatalities. Together, we can prevent more deaths from ravaging our communities and add more investment to the economy," said Minister Ndebele.
According to the AA, the NETS programme emphasises on road safety to and from work, during work when walking or driving, safety of family members through alcohol abuse awareness and implementing stringent road safety policies to improve compliance to basic road safety rules such as not using your cell phone when driving, wearing seatbelts and driving roadworthy vehicles. Part of the AA’s initiative is to provide guidelines and recommendations on how companies can implement road safety programmes in the workplace.
Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Cell: 083 644 4405
