South Africa’s roads are amongst the most dangerous in the world, with a reported death toll of 22.5 persons for every 100 000 people in our population. According to The Road to a Healthier South Africa report, it was found that Durban drivers are the country’s worst drivers, followed closely by Pretoria and Johannesburg.

Do not hesitate to report reckless and negligent driving

Almost every motorist, cyclist and pedestrian have unfortunately experienced negligent or reckless drivers. From the person who drives in the yellow lane, to the car that skips the red light or the person not focusing because they are texting; or even that person exceeding the speed limit and hooting people off the road and not to mention the un-roadworthy vehicles on the road. Many people who are law-abiding citizens on the road often swallow their anger at bad drivers instead of filing an incident report. In fact, how many times have you said: “There are no Metro Police officers around when needed?

Negligent and reckless driving should be taken seriously, especially given how many people have lost their lives to road carnage. However, if a difference is going to be made, we all need to take a stand and realise that it’s not only the responsibility of the South African Metro Police to manage our roads, but everyone’s responsibility, as concerned citizens and South African road users.

No one should be complacent towards someone driving recklessly – from texting, speeding, drunk driving, being overly aggressive or careless driving, don’t hesitate to report it!

How do I report bad driving?

The Arrive Alive organisation has created a 24-hour portal and call centre where you can report bad driving – and it’s easy to do, you just need to provide a few details:

  • The name of the province, city, suburb, road or the street which the incident occurred in
  • The day, date and time of the incident
  • Details of the vehicle observed, registration number, make, model (if possible) and colour
  • Details of the incident, for example, the driver ignored a red traffic light

So, take action and stand up against bad driving by calling 0861 400 800 or visiting www.arrivealive.co.za/report-bad-driving

You may even save a life.