Yes! – we most definitely have to be alert to pedestrians on “zebra crossings” – and failure to do so would amount to gross negligence! This is however not the only zebra requiring our attention. One of the funny road signs received yesterday is that of a warning about a zebra biting…!
But what are the chances of meeting a zebra on the road? In June 2007 it was reported that a zebra that escaped from a game farm near Langenhoven Park in Bloemfontein had the traffic on the N1 grind to a halt when he decided to use the freeway for his Sunday afternoon jog.
The first attempt to catch the zebra failed, because the animal pulled itself free of the ropes the officers were using, and hit the road in a southerly direction. According to eyewitness reports the zebra was finally trapped by an unidentified motorist, who used his bakkie to push it into a corner, using a wall next to the N1. The animal was tied up until a man, presumably its owner, arrived to load it into a trailer.
What is the road safety lesson?
• Be alert to road traffic signs – no matter how strange they may seem!
• Be alert to the dangers of animals on the road!
Visit the Arrive Alive website for info on:
• Road Traffic Signs of South Africa
• Avoiding Animals on the Road