Pedestrians’ safety in South Africa is a major concern. It will be good to see in which countries pedestrians are the safest, so that we can learn from the way those countries operate. Hopefully, we will be able to apply their principles to South Africa.
MOTORISTS WORLDWIDE RECEIVE PREFERENCE
There is a global tendency to give more attention to motorists than to pedestrians, and yet the latter are the most vulnerable group. The World Health Organisation (WHO) provided an overview of pedestrian safety worldwide (2010) to highlight pedestrian issues and how they could be addressed.1 They instituted a ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020’ to highlight pedestrians’ requirements as well as how their road safety can be best implemented.
PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES BY WHO REGION (2010)
It is good to gain an understanding how pedestrian fatalities are spread around the world. Briefly, in 2010, the most pedestrian fatalities occurred in Africa (38%), with the least in South-east Asia (12%). Out of all fatalities, pedestrian fatalities were 23% in the Americas, 27% in Europe, 28% in the Eastern Mediterranean, while the world average was 22%. It’s disturbing to see that Africa’s pedestrian fatalities are close to double the world average. 1,2
GENERALLY, HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES HAVE THE LEAST PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES
In poor countries, not many people can afford cars, and thus a greater proportion are pedestrians. In high-income countries, not too many people walk long distances. In fact, most pedestrian crashes occur in city streets. Not only do buses, trams and trains abound, but also there are a lot more cars. However, in low-income and middle-income countries, pedestrian fatalities happen the most on major routes in peri-urban and rural areas. Nevertheless, it may not be that simplistic, as each country has its own dynamic transport system in place.
WHICH COUNTRIES HAD THE MOST AND LEAST PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES IN 2010?
Out of a selected 16 countries, El Salvador in Central America had the highest pedestrian fatalities (over 60%), with the USA, France and the Netherlands experiencing between 11-12%. Thailand had the least fatalities at about 7-8%.1 African countries were not included. However, Sweden is heading for zero fatalities each year.3
WHAT ABOUT ROADS IN LOW-INCOME AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES?
It is noteworthy that 84% of roads in low-income and middle-income countries have traffic averaging at a speed of 40 km per hour, and where pedestrians have no pavement or footpath. 1
SPEED KILLS
It is true that speed kills. One of the first steps to reduce pedestrian fatalities is implementing designated areas with speed restrictions. According to the WHO report, a 5% drop in average speed will reduce fatal accidents by 30%.1
LOOKING AT SOME CASE STUDIES
New York City in the USA aims to halve road fatalities by 2030.1 To reach this goal, the City has installed many pedestrian signals, and is enforcing many zones where the speed limit is 32 km per hour. Media programmes were designed to inform all road users as well as obtain feedback. Total crashes as well as pedestrian crashes have been reduced by 25-51%. What is noticeable in this study is that improvement in infrastructure, enforcement of speed laws and information dissemination proved effective.
THE NETHERLANDS, ANOTHER CASE STUDY
The Netherlands has for many years significantly reduced pedestrian fatalities on its roads. But, how have they managed to accomplish this?
IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Authorities designed roads with 30 km-per-hour restrictions, while pedestrian crossings were made noticeable to motorists.1 Although not mentioned in the study, effective law enforcement must be assumed.
EDUCATION OF ALL ROAD USERS
Education of all road users in the Netherlands has instilled a culture of safety consciousness, which develops over time. Education addresses behavioural problems such as walking or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as speeding.
FOCUSING ON THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND ELDERLY PEDESTRIANS
By focusing on the safety needs of these two groups of pedestrians, authorities have reduced pedestrian fatalities in the Netherlands.
SUPPORT BY THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT
Ultimately, the State has to be seen by all road users as a committed role player in pedestrian safety.
To sum up, every country has different road safety dynamics. The Netherlands can’t be compared to South Africa regarding pedestrian road safety. But some basic principles stand out, such as improvement of infrastructure to make it safer for pedestrians. In addition, law enforcement, especially regarding speeding, is vital. Education is another big must for fostering a road safety culture.4 Finally, the government must be seen to be consistently committed to road safety, and not just sporadically.
After all that is said and done, have you made sure you are adequately covered with affordable car insurance? Why not contact PMD and find out.
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Disclaimer:
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views and opinions of Prime Meridian Direct (Pty) Ltd, FSP41040.The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.
Sources:
1 https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/road_traffic/make_walking_safe/en/
2 https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/nov/15/road-safety-across-world-compare
3 https://qz.com/319940/why-sweden-has-the-worlds-safest-roads/
4 https://www.aa.co.za/insights/pedestrian-safety-vital-to-overall-road-safety-in-sa