WATCH: Horrific Collision Involving Delivery Bike Captured on CCTV

A bike accident took place on Cleaver Road, resulting in injuries to the rider. The individual was transported to a hospital through private means for medical attention.

In South Africa, motorcyclists represent a small portion of road fatalities, accounting for 2% of the total in 2018. That year, the country recorded 12,921 road deaths overall, equating to a mortality rate of 22.4 per 100,000 inhabitants. By 2023, total road fatalities had decreased slightly to 11,883. Motorcycle accidents numbered over 700 annually based on 2018 data. In a broader African context, motorcycles are involved in up to 70% of road traffic crashes, and 22.5% of road deaths continent-wide involve two- or three-wheeled vehicles.

Delivery drivers on motorcycles face heightened risks, with 56 fatalities recorded among them from January 2016 to December 2019. As of May 2023, approximately 50,000 delivery motorcycles were operating on South African roads. Accidents involving food delivery drivers increased by 30% to 109 incidents nationwide in May and June 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. A study at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria from 2020 to 2022 examined 29 delivery motorbike riders injured in accidents; all were male, aged 20-44 with an average age of 29, and 75% were between 20-35 years old. Lower limb fractures comprised 79% of their injuries, with femur fractures being the most common at 52%. Helmet use was documented in only 14% of cases, and 60% of patients arrived at the emergency department after 16:00. Overall, 77% of injuries were bony, 20% were open fractures, 32% involved multiple injuries, and 86% required surgical intervention. More than 50% of patients stayed in hospital longer than 96 hours, 14% needed blood transfusions, and 10% were readmitted due to subsequent accidents.

Additional hazards for delivery drivers include high crime rates, making them targets for hijackers and thieves while navigating streets. Underreporting of accidents is common, particularly for undocumented migrant riders, and there is a lack of specific regulations or tracking mechanisms for delivery rider fatalities. The e-commerce sector's growth, from R200 billion in 2022 to a projected R400 billion in 2025, has increased the number of riders exposed to these risks.