it happened right in front of his partner , Lynn-Rae van den Berg , as they were out training for the upcoming Maritzburg Half Marathon . The driver had lost concentration and drifted into oncoming traffic , then over-corrected and ploughed into Neil on the shoulder of the road .
In another horrific accident in February 2016 in Wartburg , near to Pietermaritzburg , 27-year-old Sithabile Mkhasibe and her boyfriend Xolani Nxele were killed when they were struck by a drunk driver during a Friday evening jog . Both runners ’ bodies were picked up and carried further by the car , but while
Xolani ’ s lifeless body eventually slid off the bonnet , Sithabile ’ s body was pinned against the windscreen and the driver kept going , later dumping her body in a sugarcane field near Dalton . Tragically , she had recently given up a high-paying engineering job in the Eastern Cape to move closer to her family in KwaZulu- Natal . Even though the driver was identified and arrested , her body was only found four days after the accident , because he had been too drunk to remember where he left her !
Also in 2016 , top Cape Town veteran Sheryl De Lange ( 47 ) of the FNB Multisport Club was killed on 9 September when hit by a car during an early morning training run in Durbanville . She was a top performer for more than 20 years , winning a number of Western Province titles in road running and cross country as well as representing the province at national championships on many occasions . She was actually due to run the South African Cross Country Champs in Middelburg the same week she was killed , having finished second in her age category at the SA 10km Champs earlier in the year .
Run Defensively !
What these tragic deaths show is that the roads in South Africa are not safe for runners , and it is imperative that athletes do their utmost to promote their own safety when out running . While nothing can guarantee your safety , there are some basic tips that may help keep you safer :
1 . Always run facing oncoming traffic , so that you can see approaching vehicles .
2 . Avoid running with music , or wear just one earpiece and listen at low volume , so that you can hear
approaching vehicles .
3 . Wear bright colours , reflective gear or flashing lights when running in low-light conditions . In fact , wear all three !
4 . Signal your intentions to change direction or cross a road , much like cyclists use hand signals to notify other road users of their intentions .
5 . Try to avoid running on roads that do not have a pavement or shoulder area , which force you to run in the road .
6 . When running around a blind corner or rise , assume that a car could be coming and rather be safe by taking the long way round . Better yet , avoid running on roads with these features .
7 . Try to make eye contact with drivers , so you know they have seen you . If you don ’ t see eyes , assume the driver has not seen you .
8 . When crossing a road , rather wait till you know it is safe , especially if you are coming up suddenly on cars whose drivers may not have seen you .
9 . Watch for danger points , such as entrances to parking lots and entry or exit points to busy highways , where drivers often drive faster or take gaps .
10 . Beware high-risk drivers who may be driving under the influence , or may be tired in the early hours of the morning or after a long work day .
11 . Assume that every driver of every vehicle is a bad driver , has bad eyesight , is texting on their phone while driving , and has not seen you .
12 . Lastly , be courteous on the roads - wave thank you to drivers who see you running and wait for you . That will make them more likely to be aware of other runners going forward .
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