Dashcam Captures Unattentive Long Haul Driver on R34 KZN Route Crashing Into Back of Moving Truck

Dashcam Captures Unattentive Long Haul Driver on R34 KZN Route Crashing Into Back of Moving Truck

  • A video has surfaced of a truck driver colliding with another heavy vehicle on the R34 route in Zululand, Ulundi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal
  • In the dashcam of the accident, the driver can be seen momentarily taking his eyes off the road and colliding into the back of the vehicle in front
  • According to Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), several factors contributed to road traffic accidents, including human error, such as distracted driving
Long distance trucker driver loses concentration, crashes into heavy vehicle in dashcam footage
Dashcam footage captures the moment a truck driver crashes into the back of another truck on the R34. Image: @TrafficSA
Source: Twitter

ZULULAND — Fatal decisions behind the wheel often result from a compromised attention span, sometimes taking only a split second.

A long-distance driver learnt this the hard way along the R34 Zululand in the Ulundi Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal.

Dashcam captures truck driver crashing

A recording of the crash, posted on the @VehicleTrackerz X page, captures the moment the trucker collides with the heavy-ton vehicle in front of him.

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"Dashcam footage shows how [three] seconds of inattention led to [a] truck crash ... plus [an] unsafe following distance," read the caption.

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The driver could be seen taking his eyes off the road and momentarily looking out, seemingly for no good reason, while tailing the vehicle in front of him.

According to Statistics South Africa (StatsSA), several factors contributed to road traffic accidents, including human error.

Human error, which constituted reckless driving, speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and distracted driving, is among the primary causes. Additionally, fatigue and lack of sleep impair driver judgment and reaction times, increasing the likelihood of accidents.

KZN and Limpopo exhibited higher proportions of fatalities occurring in the residents' respective provinces, with rates of 92,1% and 93,4%, respectively, after the cumulative figures for road fatalities between 2007 and 2019 indicated that people more frequently died in their home province.

Holiday periods often see a surge in road accidents due to various factors such as increased traffic volumes, alcohol consumption, fatigue, and adverse weather conditions. December consistently saw the highest number of road fatalities.

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The truck driver who caused the collision can be seen and heard in the 17-second dashcam footage expressing alarm at the moment of impact after seemingly trying in vain to slam the brakes at the last second.

"Moerskont! Moerskont! Gape sa bobedi (for the scond time now). Ey, die man, banna (this guy, man)! Ayayayaya!" he exclaims.

The clip attracted nearly 6,000 views since it was posted on 28 November.

Dashcam films clumsy truck driver crashing

In related news, Briefly News reported that a truck driver, whether blissfully ignorant or a chancer, found out about the dangers of texting while driving.

The man, lucky enough to be alive, would've probably preferred it to be swallowed into the ground whole.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tshepiso Mametela avatar

Tshepiso Mametela (Head of Current Affairs Desk) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is the current affairs Head of Desk at Briefly News. He was a news reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops, including the crime and court reporting one by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism in 2024. Email: tshepiso.mametela@briefly.co.za