On Friday afternoon 1 June at approximately 14:30, a taxi travelling on the N3 South near the Elands interchange collided with the centre concrete barrier.
It is suspected that a blow out on one of its tyres may have been the cause of the accident. The taxi driver lost control and the taxi overturned an lost its roof. Emer-G-Med paramedics and other emergency services arrived promptly at the scene to treat any injuries. The fire department provided scene safety for the patients and emergency personal on the scene.
Terence Teixeira from the Matrix Road Safety Association, said nine of the occupants of the taxi sustained moderate to severe injuries and were transported to hospital. No other vehicles were fortunately involved in the collision.
Teixeira warns motorists that tyre pressure is a major cause of accidents on South African roads. “Many drivers are not aware that there are TWO different tyre pressures for vehicles, one when unloaded (driver only) and higher pressures when the vehicle is loaded with passengers and luggage. Failure to increase pressures before a trip with a loaded vehicle could very easily result in a blow-out. Under-inflated tyres are the biggest cause of tyre failure in South Africa and drivers often get a fright when this happens resulting in sudden braking. This could easily cause the vehicle to slew sideways and end up rolling as was the case on Friday. What drivers should do if they have a blow-out is to concentrate on the steering and keep the vehicle going as straight ahead as possible and stay away from the brake pedal, just let the vehicle decelerate normally.”
For more information on the Matrix Road Safety Association visit www.matrix.co.za
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