March 1: The Northglen News has raised the bar on debate concerning the spate of serious accidents along Umhlanga Rocks Drive, particularly in the Sunningdale area.
Picture: A view of Umhlanga Rocks Drive. This is close to the danger zone, where motorists regularly speed resulting in a high number of accidents.
The horror event which has drawn the community’s attention to this issue was the January 24 crash in which a BMW M3 and VW Golf collided near Somerset Park, resulting in one death and serious injuries, including to a 6-year-old child and 14-year-old teenager.
Some of the suggestions doing the rounds about how to remedy the situation and encourage safer driving include: speed bumps (which it seems everyone agrees are impossible to enforce, as this would cause nightmare backlogs along this busy route to and from Durban and Durban North); flashing LED lights; signage and additional barriers.
DA Councillor for Ward 35 Heinz de Boer had this to say: “I do believe the flashing lights would help. The corner is tricky and lights would help sensitize drivers to this.” De Boer said intoxicated drivers would possibly not pay attention to extra signage, but that every measure possible had to be taken to make the road safer for drivers, pedestrians and residents.
He continued: “One thing I believe is non-negotiable is the extension of the armco barrier to safeguard nearby homes. Unfortunately it appears even getting this will be a fight.”
According to the Northglen News, the city transport authority is of the opinion that reckless driving by youngsters in the late hours is the cause of most problems along the road. eThekwini Transport Authority’s Carlos Esteves said, “We’ve done an analysis of accidents over the past three years and what we’ve found is about half the accidents are single vehicles hitting objects. The accidents are after hours and on weekend.” Esteves said the profile of drivers involved was mostly youngsters under the age of 26.
Esteves said he believed that speed bumps were not practical but that the city could investigate putting up additional signage warning motorists of the danger of the road.
Now see KZN drunk drivers to be named and shamed.
Commenting on speed humps De Boer said, “The option of speed bumps on this road is not an option at all. It would be extremely dangerous to have humps on such an arterial road as it would launch cars off the road.
Now see Damon Beard’s The Big Favour
He continued: “I am very concerned though that it is so extremely difficult to get speed bumps on roads that qualify for them and are in desperate need of speed calming.”
Because there’s such a variance between the crawl of rush hour and the life-risking boy racing along Umhlanga Rocks Drive when it’s quieter, it’s always going to be difficult finding a solution to this problem. – Ridge Correspondent
Do you drive along Umhlanga Rocks Drive? Do you feel this is a particularly dangerous section of road in our area? What’s the solution? Send us your comments.
3 Comments
Put up a facial recognition camera and take their licences away. People who speed are breaking the law. Were the two kids killed wearing seatbelts?
Speed cameras, cops on the road, roadblocks in the area. If you can’t put speed bumps in then at least rumble strips.
How about a permanent camera speedtrap (like those on freeways)? As soon as people know that there is a permanent camera there, they automatically always slow down in the area – problem solved. I also think rumble strips could make a difference.