Midlands EMS urges caution near accident scenes to prevent secondary crashes
Midlands EMS has appealed to road users to take extra precautions when approaching accident scenes, emergency vehicles, and towing or breakdown services operating on roads.
The emergency service made the appeal following “a noticeable increase in secondary accidents on national routes and within urban areas, often caused by inattentive or reckless driving near accident scenes”.
Midlands EMS spokesperson Roland Robertson said: “The safety of emergency personnel, breakdown operators, and those involved in accidents depends heavily on the actions of other road users.
“Emergency responders, breakdown operators, and other roadside workers risk their lives to assist others. Their safety is in your hands when you approach their work zones.”
Midlands EMS encourages the public to note the following guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety:
- Slow down: Reduce your speed when you notice flashing lights or emergency activity ahead. Speeding past accident scenes is not only dangerous but also illegal.
- Stay alert: Distractions like texting or talking on the phone can have deadly consequences. Always pay full attention to the road, especially near emergency zones.
- Give way and move over: Change lanes or move over if it is safe to do so, giving emergency personnel and breakdown operators the space they need to work safely.
- Follow instructions: Obey directions from emergency responders or traffic officials managing the scene. These instructions are provided to protect everyone.
- Avoid rubbernecking: Slowing down unnecessarily to observe accident scenes can lead to traffic jams or secondary accidents.
“Midlands EMS reminds all motorists that road safety is a shared responsibility. By taking these simple precautions, we can reduce the occurrence of secondary accidents, save lives and ensure the safety of everyone travelling on our roads,” added Robertson.
Earlier this week, Mi7 National Group reported multiple crashes on the N3 near Peter Brown Drive in Pietermaritzburg.
Mi7 said it is believed a driver lost control of his vehicle and it overturned. The driver was ejected from the vehicle and flung across the highway from the southbound carriageway onto the north. He was hit by a passing vehicle and died. A passenger in the vehicle was stabilised and taken to the hospital.
Later, two secondary crashes occurred. First, a bakkie crashed into a tow truck parked ahead of the initial crash scene to divert traffic away. Two occupants of the bakkie were injured. The tow truck operators were not in the vehicle during the crash.
Second, a Road Traffic Inspectorate vehicle also used to divert traffic away was crashed into further up. The officer was not in the vehicle.
In another incident, a video went viral on social media where a tow truck driver saved a motorist’s life before a secondary crash near Peter Brown Drive.
The video was captioned: “Yesterday’s (Monday) crash at Peter Brown. Thanks to God our towing member was saved.
“This video is to show the public how irresponsible drivers we have on our roads. We (are) always preaching about road safety and safe driving in rainy weather but no one listens and accidents like this happen causing loss of lives.
“Please do not speed especially on a rainy day.”
thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za