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Are you cautious enough on the roads?

18 April 2019 | Story Valentino Ndaba

Be Safe on road — Be safe on the roads: Prevention is better than a hospital ward or coffin.

Safety starts with you, non-compliance ends you. A traffic spike over the Easter holidays does not justify disobeying road rules. The university is counting on all students, both drivers and pedestrians, to continue prioritising safety on the roads.

Don’t be a statistic, take responsibility
The 2018 Preliminary Easter Road Safety Report issued by the Department of Transport, indicated that most accidents were caused by irresponsibility. “In 2018, human factor contributed 89,5% to crashes as compared to the 74,3% in 2017. The number of jay-walking pedestrians killed on our roads also increased to 38% as compared to 25,2% in 2017,” said Minister of Transport, Blade Nzimande.

The university implores you to play a role in reducing these numbers in 2019.

On driving and cellphones
According to Arrive Alive, the use of communication devices while driving is prohibited. “No person shall drive a vehicle on a public road while holding a cellular or mobile telephone or any other communication device in one or both hands or with any other part of the body, unless such a device is affixed to the vehicle or is part of the fixture in the vehicle.”

Pedestrian duties
Pedestrians are encouraged to practice caution when using sidewalks and while crossing the road. When walking, face oncoming traffic and pay attention to traffic signs so as not to constitute a source of danger to yourself or to traffic.

Safe speed saves lives
A general speed limit of 60 kilometres per hour shall apply to all public roads within urban areas, 100 kilometres per hour on public roads, and 120 kilometres per hour on freeways. Abide by these speed limits, unless stated otherwise by traffic signs.

More tips on drunken driving, wearing seat belts, and other aspects of road safety are easily available on the Arrive Alive website.

News Archive

UFS first to mechanise agricultural technique

2006-05-09

Small farmers from Thaba `Nchu were the biggest group attending the farmers day at the UFS Paradys experimental farm. From the left are Mr David Motlhale (a small farmer from Thaba 'Nchu), Prof Leon van Rensburg (lecturer at the UFS Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences and project leader), Mr Nhlonipho Nhlabatsi (Agricultural Research Council, Glen), Ms Meisie Mthethwa (small farmer from Bloemspruit). In front is Mr Patrick Molatodi (chairperson of the Tswelopele Small Farmer Association).

Some of the participants of the farmers day at the UFS Paradys experimental farm were from the left Prof Leon van Rensburg (lecturer at the UFS Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences and project leader, Mr Patrick Molatodi (chairperson of the Tswelopele Small Farmers Association) and Prof Herman van Schalkwyk (Dean: UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences).

UFS first tertiary institution in world to mechanise agricultural technique
The University of the Free State (UFS) is the first tertiary institution in the world to mechanise the in-field rain water harvesting technique on a commercial scale.

The technique was recently demonstrated to about 100 small farmers at the UFS Paradys experimental farm outside Bloemfontein.

“With this technique rain water is channeled to the plant and in this way food security is increased. The advantage of the technique for commercial farmers lies in the reduced cultivation of land. Small farmers will benefit from this because they can now move out into the fields and away from farming in their back yards,” says Prof Leon van Rensburg, lecturer at the UFS Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences and project leader.

Rain water harvesting is an antique concept that was used by communities before the birth of Christ. In South Africa the technique is mainly used in the plots of small farmers where they make surface structures by hand.

"The technique is also used for the first time by the UFS on commercial scale by means of the cultivation of a summer crop on 100 ha at the Paradys experimental farm,” says Prof Leon van Rensburg,

Of the farmers who attended the farmers day most represented about 42 rural communities in the vicinity of Thaba ‘Nchu. A group of seven from KwaZulu-Natal also attended the proceedings. These small farmers can for example apply this technique successfully on the 250-300 ha communal land that is available in the Thaba ‘Nchu area.

The project is funded by the UFS and the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the farmers’ day was funded by the Water Research Commission.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
9 May 2006

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