EDITOR’S NOTE
How not to put out fires, and how to take death off SA’s roads
There is no getting away from the disastrous way in which Ford has handled the Kuga fire crisis, writes Mark Smyth
Welcome to our first issue of Motor News for 2017. We normally start the year with a look at forthcoming trends, but this week there was no getting away from the disastrous way in which Ford has handled the Kuga fire crisis. It will not only go down in history as one of the major vehicle recalls, but will no doubt become a case marketing and business students will study in how not to handle a public relations crisis. We are confident more information will emerge on exactly what went on behind the scenes and why the company did not act in a way that would have made sense to us mere mortals. Sadly, it was not just the Kuga that made news on our roads in recent months. Transport Minister Dipuo Peters announced that 1,714 people lost their lives over the holiday season — a 5% rise from last year’s figures. It shows we have a long way to go to improve the situation on our roads. Government and law enforcement agencies must do more and focus on the correct areas, such as visible, 24-hour ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.