Alida Venter’s life was irrevocably altered 25 years ago when her son, Tommie, was in a head-on collision with a drunken driver. He was about to turn 21. But he never reached that milestone. “The impact on our family was huge,” Venter recalls. “Trying to make sense of what, of why, your family falls apart.” Six months after the accident, amid the shock and the grief, she parted ways with her husband. All around her it was as if the rest of the world continued to speed by, unaware of the pain their actions could cause. “People who do not adhere to the rules of the road don’t realise how devastating it is to any family,” Venter says. In the wake of tragedy, she set off on a mission that has led to her becoming a leading road safety activist in South Africa.
It’s estimated that 12 000 people die on the country's roads every year. To combat the apathy of motorists, Venter established Drive More Safely – a self-funded non-profit steering countless initiatives to reduce a multiplicity of dangers. Working as a driving instructor, she ran the first training centre in the Western Cape to conduct digital learner licence classes. For two years, Venter organised Take A Break – a campaign which saw her setting up 24-hour road blocks along a national highway to provide coffee and a safe resting place for drivers experiencing fatigue. With Project ADWARD, she’s striving towards at least one day without a road death every year. Meanwhile, the Danny Cat Club offers edutainment programmes that teach kids pedestrian safety, and provide reflective raincoats to learners who walk long distances to rural schools. No matter what she’s working on, Venter remains resolute. “I teach people to be responsible on the road. In that way, we can drive down fatalities,” she says.
Despite her individual efforts, saving lives requires systemic change. A turning point for Venter was a crash in 2012 that killed five children. “I was devastated,” she says. “I found out that children under three did not exist in the law, and the law did not enforce the use of a child restraint.” Venter began the Car Seats for Kids campaign to rally people to donate their used car seats, which get restored to full safety compliances. In partnership with traffic departments, she organises road blocks to stop cars with unrestrained children and offer car seats. Parents can sign these out for long-term use and exchange them for larger sizes when necessary. So far, Venter has handed out over 9 500 car seats. Her relentless campaigning has also led to legal victory. As of 2015, South Africa’s National Road Traffic Act stipulates that children under three must be restrained in vehicles.
Today, Venter continues to meet with government officials to improve the state of South Africa’s roads. She is also a regular speaker at national and global conferences to champion road safety, and works in accident investigation and reconstruction for truth and justice to ensue. Her unwavering efforts are changing policies and saving lives to ensure other families do not have to experience what she has. “I’m not a politician, I’m not a law enforcement officer,” Venter affirms. “I’m a mother who cares.”
Footage and photos by Drive More Safely were used in the creation of this film.
