This November will go down as one of the worst in our country’s history in road safety. At the time of writing this article, 72 people had died due to road accidents. This is a national crisis.
It is evident that our country lags behind many other countries in road safety. Our road death record is reportedly one of the worst in the world and the second in Africa.
We kill 14 000 people on our roads a year. To put this in perspective, that is equivalent to eight crashes a month of an SAA A320 – which carries 138 passengers – killing everybody on board. Now, that would be an aviation crisis. The fact that these deaths are occurring on roads does not make them less of a crisis.
So, where does the problem lie and how shall we respond as a nation? I have often heard people blame the state of our roads as a cause of the high rate of accidents. I will not dispute this. There are some roads that are badly engineered and there are some with poor signage, invisible road markings and potholes. To the extent that these contribute to road accidents, the authorities must take responsibility and improve the state of our roads, especially at provincial and municipal levels.
But we know that South Africa also has some of the best roads, especially the national network, in Africa. Yet it comes second to Nigeria where road fatalities are concerned. So, there has to be another reason besides the state of our roads.
In my view, the primary cause of the crisis we face on our roads has a lot to do with driver behaviour, but not exclusively so. And let me hasten to add, the manifestation of bad driver behaviour is not something confined to the taxi industry.
The sooner we get off the case of taxi drivers, horrendous as the behaviour of some among them can be, and start looking at our own conduct as ordinary motorists, the better for road safety in the country.
One of the worst forms of behaviour on the road is the speed at which we drive. I am told that because of speed, a crash in South Africa is most likely to result in a death, more than it would in any other country.
South African motorists tend to think that once they are behind the steering wheel, their flesh turns into iron and they can drive at any speed because they are invincible. It is downright stupid and irresponsible. Thousands die and get injured in crashes every year where speed is the contributing factor. The social and economic cost of these crashes is estimated to be more than R200 billion a year.
South Africa has run various campaigns about the fact that speed kills. But even so, some drivers still ignore these messages. These road users are a risk to themselves and to others.
Apart from educational campaigns on speed and its consequences, road authorities need to strengthen law enforcement to promote safe speeds. There must be a speed threshold beyond which a fine is not an option, but withdrawal of one’s licence becomes mandatory.
For example, if you are found to be driving at 40km/h more than the required speed limit, a traffic fine should not be an option but one’s licence must simply be withdrawn for a period.
In that manner, motorists will think twice before accelerating. We have a desperate situation that calls for desperate measures and I am not sure if issuing a traffic ticket is still a sufficient deterrent for motorists who speed.
Also, there is significant room for enhancing the safety features of vehicles that enter the South African market and to make this a legal requirement.
When I look at some of the vehicles on our roads, especially taxis, they are older than 12 years – which means they are less safe because they do not have the latest safety features.
And then there is the issue of heavy vehicles on our roads, which I feel needs special focus. The consequences of heavy vehicle crashes are, as we saw in the recent Pinetown accident, more severe. Other road users usually come off second best in a crash with a heavy vehicle. Law enforcement on roadworthiness, adherence to vehicle standards and working with the road freight industry to be more safety conscious, are some of the efforts we need to focus more on.
Last, we need to upscale our efforts in educating and changing the behaviour of young drivers. I do not have evidence of this, but I am reliably informed that a considerable number of road accidents involve our young people.
It makes sense. Young drivers are inexperienced and more prone to take risks with speed. Authorities may need to review the driving age and come up with more campaigns that are targeted at young drivers such as tertiary students.
As we begin the festive season, I appeal to everyone behind the steering wheel to reflect on their behaviour.
Don’t do something that may cut your life and that of other road users short. Let us all arrive alive. -The Star
Ray McCauley is senior pastor of the Rhema Bible Church and co-chairman of the National Religious Leaders Council