The use of technology to promote road safety is very much aligned with the ‘Safe Systems’ approach adopted globally through the United Nation’s Plan for Road Safety. 

Engineering plays an important role in road safety in South Africa. It serves no point to preach road safety to people if the very roads they are using are dangerous because of the way they have been designed or maintained.  

We need innovative engineering solutions and to show greater respect for laws to intervene in areas that are high-crash zones.  

Indeed, you may find that to reduce pedestrian deaths on a stretch of road all that is needed is a safe pedestrian crossing point.  

The safety strategy must be able to respond to that kind of challenge. A recent example demonstrates that better roads can bring about a safer environment and contribute to a reduction in the number of crashes and fatalities.  

Globally aligned 

The use of technology to promote road safety is very much aligned with the ‘Safe Systems’ approach adopted globally through the United Nation’s Plan for Road Safety. 

This approach also underpins South Africa’s National Road Safety Strategy. The Safe Systems approach accentuates the need for all stakeholders to accept responsibility for road safety.  

SANRAL will continue to play a proactive role in ensuring a road environment that is self-explanatory, forgiving and which provides for the needs of all road users, including pedestrians.  

Examples 

The R71 linking Polokwane with the eastern parts of Limpopo is well known as one of the busiest stretches of road in the country, especially during Easter when it carries more than 17 000 vehicles a day en route to Moria for the religious pilgrimage. 

SANRAL’s re-engineering of the road to Moria entailed the construction of a new intersection and a dual carriageway on the busiest stretch close to Zion City.  

A new pedestrian walkway was also constructed to provide members of the community improved and safer access away from the main road surface.  

Residents of Klerksdorp in the North West can look forward to a safer road environment with the construction of concrete sidewalks and kerbing, fencing off a section of the road, minor capacity improvements and drainage, as well as improvements to four existing intersections on the N12 near the Jouberton and Alabama townships.  

At the R1.14-billion Mount Edgecombe interchange, which was officially opened by Minister of Transport Blade Nzimande in October 2018, road safety has been improved with the implementation of directional ramps, cutting down the need for controlled signalisation and associated back-up of traffic onto the freeway, thereby ensuring safer free flow of traffic in all directions.  

Public transport lay-byes with footways connected to a pedestrian bridge crossing over the N2 have been constructed to ensure the safety of pedestrians.  

Also, high-tech lighting has been installed to ensure the whole interchange is properly lit at night for increased safety.  

The upgrading of a 33km stretch of the N2 between Mtunzini toll plaza and the Empangeni T-junction that has been the scene of several fatal crashes, began in March 2016 and is nearing completion.  

This entails transformation into a 14m-wide, safer dual–carriage highway, which will enable the key arterial road to cope with increased traffic volumes.  

The major overhaul of the entire stretch of the R573 Moloto Road, which has earned the title “road of death” because of the many fatal accidents there, will see several illegal access routes being closed off through proper fencing and new, safer walkways being constructed.  

The 160km stretch of road runs through three provinces: Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and is used by approximately 50 000 commuters every day.  

Road markings, including paint and studs, are being given priority attention countrywide, owing to many serious crashes occurring at night when markings are not clearly visible. 

SANRAL has introduced performance-based road marking contracts, as there have been too many instances where road markings have deteriorated long before their specified lifespan.  

Under this new system, payment is only made to the contractor once it has been ascertained that the paint complies with minimum standards over a length of time.