Programme launched to ensure safer roads

The recent opening of the new Scania Service Centre in Cape Town exhibited the long history that the manufacturer has had in the vehicle industry and its long-standing commitment to advance road safety through knowledge, skills and attitude. This is exemplified by the core values of the company: expanded service capacity, higher efficiency and greater flexibility.

 

But, despite the festive atmosphere that prevailed at the opening, the 2011 holiday period has once again proven that the safeguarding of roads – in particular those of South Africa – can never be undertaken in a vacuum.

Mounting deaths and violent injuries meant that this past festive season was anything but festive for many unfortunate South Africans. Why is it that we have more road deaths in one month than other countries have in an entire year?

Any form of training places emphasis on the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitude. Which one of these are we failing to acquire?

In 2011, the United Nations launched its Decade of Action for Road Safety. This followed the highly successful First Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety hosted by the Government of the Russian Federation in November 2009. A Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011–2020 was officially proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in March 2010.

The impetus behind this programme is the fact that road traffic crashes take the lives of nearly 1.3 million people every year, and injure between 20 million and 50 million more. Road traffic injuries have become the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 29 years, and over 90% of road traffic deaths and injuries occur in low- and middle-income countries, which have only 48% of the world’s registered vehicles.

To address these issues, the following five-pillar approach has been formulated:

 

Pillar 1: Road safety management

This is to encourage the creation of multi-sectoral partnerships and to designate lead agencies with the capacity to develop and lead the delivery of national road safety strategies, plans and targets, underpinned by the data collection and evidential research to assess and monitor the implementation and effectiveness of these programmes.

Much effort is being expended in the Western Cape to ensure an effective functioning of structures takes place and the necessary partnerships are in place to enhance road safety.

Besides Scania, which is supplying vehicles for use in the upcoming International Driver of the Year competition (which will be hosted in South Africa), South African Breweries is active in combating drunken driving. It is sponsoring the creation of Alcohol Evidence Centres (Safely Home Anti-Drunk Driving Operational War Rooms – SHADOW centres) in the Western Cape. SAB has pledged a million rand to each centre, of which two have already been established (excluding Worcester, mentioned below).

Despite the perceived setback regarding the use of evidentiary breath-testing machines based on the judgement in the case of State vs Hendricks, a great deal of work is being done to ensure the points as highlighted are being addressed.

The Western Cape Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works has established a Safely Home programme and is managing a number of projects in support of these pillars.

These projects include the Average Speed Over Distance initiative on the R61 between Aberdeen and Beaufort West, which is intended as a traffic calming and speed reduction measure, as well as the further rollout of SHADOW centres, with the next one soon to be launched in Worcester.

Another project was the December launch of the Safely Home website (http://safelyhome.westerncape.gov.za) with crash witness footage, which has proven to be very successful, albeit somewhat contentious.

The proper collation and analysis of crash statistics is ongoing.

 

Pillar 2: Safer roads

This is meant to raise the inherent safety and protective quality of road networks for the benefit of all road users, particularly the most vulnerable (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists). This will be achieved through the implementation of road infrastructure assessment and improved, safety-conscious planning, design, construction and operation of roads.

 

Pillar 3: Safer vehicles

This pillar aims to encourage the universal deployment of improved vehicle safety technologies for both passive and active safety, through a harmonisation of relevant global standards, consumer information schemes and incentives to accelerate the uptake of new technologies.

Vehicle manufacturers such as Scania are vying for top honours to ensure they have the premium brand on the market.

Pillar 4: Safer road users

This is meant to develop comprehensive programmes to improve road user behaviour. Sustained or increased enforcement of laws and standards, combined with public awareness and education to increase seat belt- and helmet-wearing rates, as well as to reduce drunk driving, speed and other risk factors.

Specific support in this regard is provided by Scania and many others, in the form of in-house driver training. This training covers everything from pre-trip inspections to advanced driving techniques pertaining to gradients, auxiliary braking systems, and green band driving.

It even includes shut-down and preparation procedures in its curriculum.

 

Pillar 5: Post-trauma care

This must improve the post-crash responsiveness of emergency services and improve the ability of health services to provide appropriate emergency treatment and long-term rehabilitation to crash victims.

The aims of these programmes are interlinked. Therefore, no role-player can function independently from the others, and any activity must be undertaken in conjunction with all others.

 

David V. Frost

Programme manager

Safely Home