One man died and another was left critically injured when three trucks collided on the N1 highway before the Golden Highway offramp on Tuesday afternoon, Johannesburg metro police said.
Spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said two combination trucks and an eight-tonne truck were involved in the accident.
”The road is completely blocked. We therefore urge motorists travelling on the N1 to rather use the Golden Highway as an alternative route,” he said.
One truck had been carrying cereal powder and another had been stacked with reels of copper cable.
Motorists coming into the north of Johannesburg were advised to use the Grasmere Toll Plaza to avoid delays.
The cause of the accident was being investigated.
Meanwhile, in an effort to halt the carnage on the country’s roads, Netcare has made a call to all motorists to observe the rules of the road on Wednesday — known internationally as World Trauma Day.
Road accidents are by far the biggest cause of traumatic injuries in South Africa, said Mande Toubkin, head of Netcare’s trauma division.
”Every year in excess of half a million patients visit the Netcare accident emergency and trauma units throughout the country,” she said.
In the year to date, 76% of patients admitted to Netcare units were male.
”When analysing their ages, there is a huge peak in the age group of 20 to 24. Trauma targets the young and productive members of society,” Toubkin said.
The aggressive driving and lack of tolerance for other road users exhibited by South African drivers is the main cause of accidents, she said.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation has estimated that 21 000 people will die on South African roads during 2007. So far, 15 000 people have lost their lives in this way this year. — Sapa