Terrible tragedy hits hard

THERE has been almost unprecedented response to news of the tragic deaths of Empangeni teacher Roderick Petersen and his family, together with two young friends.

The community never becomes immune to this type of incident, because it strikes at all we hold dear: family, friends and the appreciation of leadership, hard work and true values.

Shortly before his untimely passing, Mr Petersen had blessed fellow believers at his church with an inspirational message.

In the daily exercise of his occupation, as a school teacher, he helped shaped the minds and lives of hundreds of teens.

Such people are the bedrock upon which society is firmly grounded, and the loss extends far beyond the pain being felt by those closest to the families involved.

We join the chorus of sympathisers, who include KZN Premier Senzo Mchunu, in adding our condolences to those in the circle of hurt.

As to the accident itself, there will no doubt be plenty of finger-pointing, much of it levelled against the lack of adequate monitoring of both vehicles and drivers on our roads.

This may well have merit.

However, it is obviously impossible for every vehicle to be checked each day for roadworthiness.

The onus is on each vehicle owner to ensure regular tyre checks, servicing and proper functioning of the car or heavy vehicle being driven.

This is half the solution to the carnage on the roads, the other half being the human element.

If we are allowing family and friends to drive without licences, or under the influence, or when exhausted or on strong medication, we could be enabling the death rate to soar.

We cannot put all the blame on the traffic authorities.

We all carry a huge burden of responsibility for road safety.