The South African road management authorities have a crucial obligation to ensure the reasonable safety of the country's roads. This was highlighted by a recent landmark High Court ruling, in which the Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works was found fully liable for a severe motorcycle accident on the R43 near Villiersdorp.
The case, which arose from a crash on Rooihoogte Pass in October 2010, has now taken on added significance following a further ruling in July 2026, in which the court ordered the department to also pay punitive legal costs after it rejected a reasonable settlement offer and forced the injured couple through years of litigation.
Accident "black spot"
The accident occurred when motorcyclist Andries Kruger and his wife, Elaine Blanckenberg, were travelling to Worcester for a motorcycle rally. As they crested a hill, the road appeared to continue straight ahead. Hidden immediately beyond the rise, however, was a sharp right-hand bend. With insufficient warning and inadequate signage, the motorcycle left the roadway, leaving both riders seriously injured. Kruger remained unconscious for three days following the collision.
Evidence presented during the trial showed the bend had long been recognised by residents as an accident "black spot". Witnesses described numerous serious and fatal crashes at the same location, while testimony revealed repeated warnings had been given to authorities about the dangers posed by the concealed curve.
The court also heard that key chevron signs were either missing or only became visible once motorists had already entered the bend, leaving little opportunity to react safely.
Raynold Tlhavani and Micaela Pather 8 May 2025 Inadequate signage
The court accepted the evidence of the plaintiffs' road engineering expert, who concluded that the signage failed to provide motorists with adequate warning of the hidden hazard. It rejected much of the evidence presented by the department's expert witness and drew an adverse inference from the department's failure to call its own roads engineer to explain why the warning signage was substantially upgraded after the accident.
The court ultimately found the department 100% liable for the crash and rejected any allegation of contributory negligence by the injured couple.
Kirstie Haslam, Partner and personal injury attorney at DSC Attorneys, who represented the plaintiffs, says the judgment sends an important message to road authorities across South Africa.
She continues: "This judgment reinforces that road authorities cannot ignore known hazards. When there is evidence that a dangerous stretch of road has caused repeated accidents, authorities have a legal obligation to assess the risk and implement appropriate safety measures. If they fail to do so and someone is injured, they can be held fully accountable."
Punitive costs
Haslam says the later punitive costs order is equally significant.
"The court made it clear that defendants cannot simply force injured people through years of expensive litigation where liability is reasonably apparent,” she adds. “Punitive costs orders are relatively uncommon and reflects the court's disapproval of litigation conduct that unnecessarily prolongs proceedings and increases costs for victims."
Tania Broughton 10 Jun 2022 When the road is the hazard
She says the case also highlights an issue often overlooked by motorists.
"People often assume every road crash is the driver's fault. This judgment demonstrates that sometimes the condition of the road itself, inadequate maintenance or defective signage is the real cause of the collision. Where that is the case, injured road users may have valid claims against the responsible authority."
Haslam says that she expects the ruling to be closely watched by legal practitioners and road authorities alike, particularly as deteriorating infrastructure and maintenance backlogs continue to affect roads across South Africa.
The case will now proceed to the quantification phase, with the amount of damages due to both of the plaintiffs set to be finally determined.
“For motorists injured because of unsafe road conditions, the judgment reinforces an established legal principle: authorities responsible for public roads owe road users a duty to take reasonable steps to ensure those roads are safe, and may face substantial liability where they fail to meet that obligation,” she concludes.
