Road Safety Plan eThekwini Municipality 2017-2021
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Road Safety Plan eThekwini Municipality 2017-2021
eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021 1 Introduction eThekwini’s Road Safety Plan is helping to build a better city ETHEKWINI has a well-earned reputation as a great place to live, work, play and visit, but unless we work together to reduce road trauma, the quality of life we enjoy is at risk. Two people are killed on Durban’s roads every day and there are 60 000 crashes a year. There has been an improvement in the past few years, but we need to do better. After all, “accidents” don’t just happen. They are caused by errors or selfishness. So let’s call them what they really are – crashes – so we can work to fix things. How are we going to do this? The eThekwini Road Safety Plan, spells it out. It explains the problem GREEN MEANS GO: eThekwini’s Road Safety Plan spells out the problems and provides solutions. and gives detailed solutions. It explains that users must do their bit too people rely on public resources can be best road engineering and to reduce crashes. transport while the rest used for the good of all. changes to vehicles will It’s a big job because have their own transport The plan helps people help, but people disobey eThekwini is a big place or walk. in all the municipality’s road rules and make – and growing. It’s also The Road Safety departments to work mistakes so behaviour has diverse. Plan deals with traffic together to reduce road to change too. The municipality engineering, policing deaths and injuries. It also A practical and efficient includes urban and rural and education, but fits in with the National road network is being areas so its 3.6 million it is part of other, Department of Transport’s built, but people must be people live close together bigger City plans and the United Nations’ shown how to use it. Here, in some places, but are that together work to road safety goals to halve enforcement agencies have scattered elsewhere. balance the competing road deaths and injuries a big role to play, but they Some are old and others needs of everyone in and to improve public can’t be everywhere – road young; two in every five eThekwini so that transport.
2 eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021
Safety is the target
Principles AIM: The Safe
System Approach is
at a glancee SAF
E SYSTEM ELEMEN
TS
guided by principals
and targets.
• Expect mistakes. Crashes es
happen even when people ple SAFE SYSTEM
CIPLES
obey road rules, so the
PRIN
system must be improved d Pe
to reduce death and
les
op
m
injuries and to help
hic
Saf
te
le
people after a crash. A safe
sys
ma
Safe ve
e roa
• The human body is
Integrated
road system
ke m
fragile so speeds must
ds
be reduced and cars
increasingly free
istakes
and roads made safer
to give people a better
chance of survival.
of death
• It’s everyone’s job and serious
to improve safety.
injury
le
Pedestrian, drivers and
Sh
designers of roads and
ab
ar
er
cars all must play a part.
ed
ln
re
• The safety of all parts sp vu
e
Sa
of the system – roads and d on
sib il le ar
fe
ro
ds
roadsides, speeds, vehicles les ad ity Peop e e
and road use – need to be e us sp
e rs fe
improved so if one part fails
ails Sa
other parts will still protectt the
people involved.
System takes total approach
ETHEKWINI’S Road Safety Plan designing safer roads and cars. and tackled; better control of
follows what’s called the Safe This makes crashes less likely licensing; good laws supported by
System Approach. and less severe. policing and the courts; education;
The system, which is used in The right speed limit needs to and good after-crash care.
many countries, says it’s wrong be set for a stretch of road and It’s hard to get people to change
to accept death or disabling adjusted when necessary. their habits, that’s why education
injury as the price we must pay Getting people to stick to speed is important.
for transport. It works to control limits is vital too. To help this Road users need to know the
roads, vehicles and speed and to happen the following things are laws and that if they break them
limit human error. needed: proper collection of crash that there is a good chance they’ll
Part of the solution lies in details so problems can be spotted be caught and face a stiff penalty.
eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021 3
Crash Rate Total
per 1000 vehicles Crashes
80 000
GETTING BETTER:
101
The number
98
70 000 of crashes on
eThekwini’s roads
(green) has
Number of cahses
60 000 been relatively
stable and even
decreased since
50 000 peaking in 2007.
Yet there are a
growing number
40 000 of vehicles on
77 the city’s roads.
For this reason
30 000 the crash rate per
1 000 vehicles
20 000 (red) has
dropped, over the
period 2000 to
10 000 2016.
0
1999 2005 2010 2016
Year
Making sense of the figures
eThekwini crash statistics
ETHEKWINI’S population is Despite pedestrians being banned About 9.3% of vehicles on the road
growing and there are more vehicles from freeways, 24% of all pedestrian are taxis, yet are involved in 18.3%
on its roads – up by 23% from deaths occur there. of fatal and serious crashes.
713 272 in 2007 to 880 174 in 2016. Half of all fatal and serious Only 4.6% of vehicles are trucks,
Despite this, there has been a big casualties are pedestrians. but they are involved in 7.3% of
drop in deaths and serious injuries, About 61% of all road deaths are crashes.
from 4 303 in 2007 to 2 838 in 2012. pedestrians. Special enforcement, education
But after 2012 the numbers have Driver deaths account for 23% and and communication projects aimed
stayed much the same. passengers 16%. at the freight and minibus taxi
There has also been little change Reducing speeds, curbing industries could help.
since 2012 in the number of crashes drink-driving and getting All age groups are involved in
that did not involve injuries. people to wear seat belts can crashes, but young adults (20 to 34)
Pedestrian deaths and serious cut deaths and injuries in all of and children aged five to nine are
injuries peaked in 2007 (2 935) and these categories. more likely to be among the dead
fell to 1 751 in 2013. There has been A disproportionately high number and seriously injured.
a gradual increase since then, with of taxis and trucks are involved in A special effort is needed to
1 966 casualties recorded in 2016. fatal and serious injury crashes. improve the safety of children.
4 eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021
Fatal and Serious Casualties by Crash Type
Vehicle/pedestrian 9 387
Single vehicle 3 179
Same direction 2 977
Opposing direction 1 534
Right angle 1 329
Other 299
0 2 000 4 000 6 000 8 000 10 000
Casualties For the period 2012 to 2016
Age of Drivers in Fatal and Serious Crashes
70+ 158 SERIOUS: One-third (33%) of the
drivers involved in fatal and serious
65-69 194 crashes were under the age of 30
60-64 382 for the period 2012 to 2016.
55-59 574
Driver age groups
50-54 818
45-49 1041
40-44 1426
35-39 1751
30-34 2325
25-29 2435
20-24 1553
15-19 200
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Crashes
eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021 5
Fatalities by
Road Users
Drivers
23 %
Pedestrians
61 %
Passengers
16 %
SAFETY WATCH:
Pedestrians constituted
61% of road deaths from
2012 to 2016, followed
by drivers at 23% and
passengers, at 16%.
2
6 eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021
Minibus and
Out of all proportion: truck crashes are
over represented
compared to the
minibuses and trucks number of vehicles
on eThekwini roads.
Source: Fatal and
are more likely serious crash
figures by vehicle
type for 2012-2016.
to crash
Minibuses as
a percentage
of vehicles
on eThekwini
Pecentage of fatal and serious roads
18.3%
crashes involving minibuses
9.3%
Trucks as a
percentage Percentage of crashes
of vehicles on involving trucks
7.3%
eThekwini
roads
4.6%
eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021 7
PAIN IN THE POCKET: Crashes cost R5 billion a year over the past decade.
What it costs us each year...
CRASHES claimed 620 lives and
R5bn
caused 3 671 serious injuries in
eThekwini each year over the past
decade. This cost R5 billion each year,
including medical costs and damage
to property. It’s hard, though to put a
cost to the trauma and grief victims
and their families suffer or to measure
lost skills and potential.
Crashes also increase congestion
3 671 hurt
and journey time for other road users.
In 2015, crashes cost the country
R142.95 billion – about 3.4% of the value
of all goods and services produced.
620 lives . . .
8 eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021 WHAT, ME WORRY? Depending on our cultural group, we may have different views on what is acceptable risk taking. Culture clash Why it’s hard for people to change and a few solutions WE are all members of different, and we don’t always agree to this. Perhaps because the risk of an often overlapping groups. These Depending on our cultural group, individual road user being killed include ethnic, gender, education, we may have different views on is relatively low. Individual road job, religious and political groups. what is acceptable risk taking. We users also tend to believe they are in The culture of the groups we may differ too on what is the right control – that they are skilled and belong to shape our values and balance between road rules and that crashes are caused by somebody common beliefs and guide our personal freedom. else, never them. actions. It determines how we It can be hard to convince people Drivers often feel anonymous and understand each other and behave that they need to change their that they are not responsible for the towards one another. deeply held cultural attitudes when safety of others on the road. When it comes to road safety, our these stand in the way of improved Alone in their vehicles, they don’t cultural beliefs and values affect safety for all road users. feel a need to cooperate or obey how we interact with others on the Some people seem unconcerned traffic laws. road. We all want to be safe, but this about crashes and injuries. People also fail to realise that may require limits to our freedom Why is this so? even if it’s only them who is hurt in
eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021 9
“
Individual
road users
tend to
believe they
are in control
– that they
are skilled
and crashes
are caused
by somebody
else
a crash, others are affected. They to expect much higher safety levels Organisations have an important
may not realise that crashes have on our roads. part to play too in helping to foster a
a cost to society, including medical We must back this up by getting road safety culture.
care and unemployment insurance them to change their behaviour and The municipality has its eye
payouts. values so that they obey road rules. on a number of programmes to
Another reason why it’s hard to A concern for road safety needs to transform road safety culture.
shift people’s cultural attitudes shape transport decisions taken at These include identifying
on safety is because crashes are all levels. The Safe System Approach volunteers and champions and
commonplace and often involve only works by bringing together plans for developing a cellphone app
a few people. For this reason they vehicles, roads and road users. so road users, including taxi
seldom make news headlines. It needs the community to commuters, can report bad
All these things make it tough to get involved – people and their drivers. Other programmes
change traffic safety culture, but it councillors – to tackle crime, include promoting a road safety
can be done. antisocial behaviour and other culture in society and municipal
For starters, we have to get people things that hamper road safety. departments.10 eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021
ACTION STATIONS: The municipality’s
road safety action plan targets 11 ACTION PLAN Roa
areas (shown in blue). The plan ols dS
ho
is built around the Safe System Sc Cu afe
g ltu ty
Approach. in re
iv
Dr E SYSTEM ELEMEN
SAF TS P
ed Saf
es ety
Tax us
SAFE SYSTEM
tria
ib
is
Min
CIPLES
PRIN
n
Pe
les
op
Ma
m
hic
Saf
te
le
sys
nage
ma
Safe ve
A safe
Speed
e roa
Integrated
ke m
Incident Safety Man
road system
ment
ds
increasingly free
R o a d Closure age m
istakes
of death and
serious injury
Route t
Freig
le
Sh
ab
ar
sa
er
h
s
ed
re ln
vu
n d e nt
sp e
ar
Sa
on
sib il le
fe
ro ity Peop ds
ad ee
sp
ty
us
Sa ol
fe
fe
e rs
Sa
ad ho
Sc
fo Tra f Ro
En
rc fi c s
em r d ou
a
H a z ti o n
en a
t D at
a L o c a ti o n
a n d C o ll e c ti o n E li m
in
R ese arch
Getting plans into gear
ETHEKWINI uses crash data to collecting data and research; agencies, including transport, health,
identify what is most in need of traffic enforcement; road police, justice and urban planning.
attention and to work out what must closures and incident safety Non-governmental organisations and
be done. management; and road safety the private sector play an important
Targets and goals are set to initiatives for minibus taxis, part too.
encourage action and to measure driving schools, schools and A road safety coordinating
results. The targets are reviewed freight routes. committee oversees the efforts
later to shape future plans. There are 36 programmes to tackle of four working groups: traffic law
The action plan focuses on a these areas, but because this is enforcement; road safety engineering;
number of broad areas. such a big project and resources are learner road safety; and programme
These include: promoting a limited, priorities must be set. specific groups.
road safety culture; pedestrian The municipality draws on the Strong partnerships are needed
safety; speed management; expertise of officials from its own so that everyone knows what to do to
eliminating hazardous locations; departments and government help the plan work well.eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021 11
WRONG PLACE: Inappropriate town
planning can put pedestrians at risk.
Pedestrian priorities
People on foot are most at risk in a crash
PEDESTRIAN deaths and serious are other reasons and we need to Poor walking habits are another
injuries are the biggest road safety understand these so we can improve reason for South Africa’s high
concern in eThekwini, accounting for pedestrian safety. pedestrian death figures. Often
half of all fatal and serious injuries For example, many pedestrians pedestrians walk with their backs
and 61% of deaths. do not use footbridges or dedicated to the direction of traffic. They also
Currently 24% of pedestrian crossing points because they fear tend to take the shortest route so
fatalities occurred on the freeways, being mugged at such places. if they think a footbridge is too far
despite only 4% of all pedestrian The speed at which cars travel on away, they won’t use it.
crashes occurring on freeways in the freeways means any crash with a Many pedestrians are exposed to
municipality. pedestrian is likely to end in death. dangerous situations when informal
About 40% of those who die Drivers often don’t expect settlements develop in inappropriate
on South Africa’s freeways are pedestrians on freeways, as they places.
pedestrians – nearly double the 22% are banned from freeways. At night Freeway pedestrian crashes are
in the rest of the world. motorists can’t see pedestrians or often dispersed, so an entire length
Part of the reason for these high when they do there’s little time to of road may need to be studied to
figures are the many informal avoid them because of the speeds
settlements near freeways. But there involved. Continued on page 1212 eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021
Continued from page 11
Pedestrian Deaths & Serious Injuries by Road Type
understand the problem.
The first step is to
identify what is affecting 35 Serious injuries
34%
pedestrian safety. 30 Deaths
A kick-off meeting of 29%
stakeholders can be a good 25
way to get people to help Percentage 24% 23% 22%
identify problems and find 20 22%
solutions. 15
Data must be collected. 15%
10 13% 12%
This can be from police
records, interviews with
residents and drivers,
5
4%
crash data, traffic and 0
pedestrian volumes, speed Freeways Arterials Distributors Collectors Local
data and behavioural Road Type
data.
It can then be studied
and the most pressing SPEED KILLS: Deaths and serious injuries by road type for 2012 to 2016. The proportion of deaths
pedestrian safety concerns is higher on higher speed roads.
identified.
There may be common
reason for crashes and hurt or killed most often. many drivers disobey • Setting up pedestrian
the fix might work for According to eThekwini traffic laws. They ignore safe zones in busy
a corridor or a whole figures, 10% of fatal red traffic signals; stop places;
network. and serious pedestrian illegally to pick up or drop • Engineering
On the other hand, crashes occur in the off passengers; use the and awareness
action might be needed at central business district. wrong lane when turning; interventions in the
a single site. This is because there are and drive too fast for the CBD;
With reliable crash many people in the CBD, number of pedestrians • Increased policing;
data it is possible to work some of whom cross roads about. and
out which crash spots to wherever they like, with The municipality has a • Building more
tackle first. little regard for traffic and number of programmes to sidewalks and
Often the priority is the traffic signals. tackle pedestrian safety. putting in traffic
place where people are At the same time, These include: calming measures.
Tech and training to tackle taxis
MINIBUS taxis are a vital part Improving the attitudes cellphone app to report bad driving
of the public transport system, of drivers is at the heart of and other safety issues. The app
but they are driven hard, fast and the municipality’s plans to will give commuters information
often overloaded. In the fierce improve commuter safety. on their driver and taxi.
competition for fares, safety often The municipality is working A minibus driver road safety
takes a backseat and passengers to develop a public transport awareness programme is in
are compromised. service improvement the pipeline too.
Minibuses are involved in 18% of programme. It will encourage taxi drivers to
fatal and serious injury crashes yet It will incentivise operators and take a more professional approach
account for only about 9% of the use vehicle monitoring devices. to their work, improve attitudes
vehicles on eThekwini’s roads. Commuters will be able to use a and reduce risk taking.eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021 13
SAY CHEESE: The presence of
cameras tends to slow traffic.
Speed management
Cameras put the brakes on speedsters
SPEEDING is a factor in management, but a mixed better guide drivers. of cameras also tends to
one-third of all crashes approach is a better way Municipal slow traffic.
worldwide. to get people to stay programmes include The public needs to
Statistics for eThekwini within the speed limit. plans for pilot projects be reminded of the
show that 21% of fatal and Enforcement needs to be at high crash sites importance of keeping
serious injuries happen combined with education where road engineering within speed limits. This
when a vehicle overturns, so people change their can be used to reduce can be done through
is involved in a head-on behaviour, while road speeds. awareness campaigns, but
collision or hits a fixed engineering can be used to Mobile and fixed cameras these should be researched
object. In many cases slow traffic and separate have been identified as an if they are to hit the mark.
speeding is a factor. vehicles from pedestrians. effective way of enforcing Roadblocks are also
We all need to slow down, The right speed limit speed limits. useful for getting the
but instead people are must be set for a particular The plan is to put in message across, while
driving faster as cars and stretch of road, in keeping more cameras to help media releases and
roads get better. with its use. Additional catch speedsters, who once advertisements tend to be
Policing has long been lines, road studs and penalised are less likely to more effective if they put a
at the centre of speed signage may be needed to speed again. The presence human face to the problem.14 eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021
WALKING THE
TALK: The
training of traffic
wardens and
scholar crossing
assistants is one
of a number of
school road safety
School road safety programmes
supported by
eThekwini.
Pilot programme targets teachers and children
OVER one-fifth of fatal and serious The safety of children walking to incentives to improve the attitude
pedestrian crashes near schools and from specific schools is rated and behaviour of drivers and
involve children under the age of 15. under the Safer Schools programme operators earning a living by taking
And in crashes across eThekwini, and countermeasures are then children to school. The plan is to get
17% of victims who died or were considered. The cost of these will be these drivers to have professional
seriously injured were children. calculated and once the plans are in driving permits and to lay down
Education at school plays an place they will be measured to see specifications for their vehicles.
important role in tackling the how well they have worked. Also on the cards are driver
problem, but children also need A dedicated primary schools monitoring devices and software to
practical experience to develop skills. programme involves visits to keep tabs on things like speeding
They need to be helped to develop about 20 schools a week, with and harsh braking.
judgment and timing, to be trained presentations in English and Meanwhile, the training of traffic
to look and listen for clues that a Zulu. wardens and scholar crossing
vehicle is approaching. Infrastructure includes installing assistants continues. But this and
The municipality has been and maintaining speed humps, road other related programmes need the
involved in a pilot Safer Schools markings and signage near schools. help of parents. The municipality
programme. It combines It’s part of a dedicated engineering plans to drum up support through
education for schoolchildren interventions programme. meetings and by using social media.
with teacher training and A learner transport programme This should also make parents
putting in infrastructure. is being developed. It will use better road users.eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021 15 Freight route fixes Changing the behaviour of drivers is key HEAVY vehicle crashes most commonly happen when a single truck leaves the road. Driving too fast and the poor condition of trucks, especially brakes, increases the chance of this happening. And when it does, truck drivers are often not wearing seat belts and their cabins give them poor protection. Their driving styles can be aggressive, putting other road users at risk and younger truckers are more likely to be in a crash than their older colleagues. But rather than playing the blame game, improving safety for all road users works well to improve heavy vehicle safety. BOBBIES ON THE BEAT: The municipality is working on a freight route policing programme, with Better road design; more police on the street and a dedicated road freight team. tackling driver behaviour and attitudes; getting truckers to rest more training improves safety. them to get treatment unhealthy drivers react often; managing speeds; Safety accreditation because they are out on slower. and using accreditation schemes help too. They the road much of the time. They also struggle to schemes help too. can be a good way to By making it easier for concentrate or manage Road design get companies to better them to get medical help tasks, making them more improvements include: maintain trucks and safety can be improved. of a risk on the road. truck climbing lanes; improve the health and They work long shifts, Getting truckers to lane restrictions; and fitness of their drivers. often at night and their slow down makes a big improving truck stops Truck drivers sometimes work can be boring and difference to safety. while making sure they suffer from diabetes or are exhausting. Onboard technology is are in the right places. overweight. But when it’s time to proving to be increasingly Research shows that If they are depressed, rest truck drivers have useful in doing this. literate truckers are less anxious or abusing trouble sleeping. This is likely to be in a crash and medicines it’s harder for a worry because tired, Continued on page 16
16 eThekwini Municipality Road Safety Plan 2017-2021
Policing Data and research Continued from page 15
pays off PEOPLE have all kinds of ideas on how to tackle road Speed cameras work too.
safety, but the best way is based on research and this Putting police on the
INTERNATIONAL starts with collecting reliable data. roads helps cut speeding,
experience shows that Road safety practitioners need evidence so they but often when officers
targeted policing really can properly diagnose the problem and find the best leave an area, drivers go
works and can more than remedy. Cost must also be balanced against other back to speeding.
pay for itself in lives priorities. The municipality plans
saved, injuries prevented The Safe System Approach involves gathering data to put in more cameras to
and fines collected. and documenting road injuries and the measures curb this.
Two programmes taken to prevent crashes and how this helps society It is also working on
have been identified to save money. This builds political support for road a freight route policing
boost enforcement in safety efforts. Data for study includes details of programme, with more
eThekwini. crashes, road inventories, survey findings, and police on the street and
The one focuses on enforcement records. But there is no sense in a dedicated road freight
identifying motorists collecting data if no one uses it. team, with officers
who disobey the traffic Road crashes happen for complex reasons that manning the compulsory
signals and jump are often related. It takes a team effort to tackle heavy vehicle stop on the
red lights. Problem the problem, so the findings of research must be M7.
intersections will be widely shared. Keeping the police, health officials, Officers will get regular
identified and cameras engineers, policy-makers and the public informed training to help them
installed to catch helps them to make better decisions. It also lets them crack down on law-
offenders. see if their plans are working. The municipality has breaking truckers.
The other programme data collection and research programmes in place, Culturally savvy safety
involves general but more needs to be done to improve the sharing of awareness programmes
enforcement. data as well as its collection, storage and analysis. will play a part too.
Eliminating hazardous locations Road closures
and incident
STUDIES of crash and
traffic volume data are
crashes and see what can
be done to prevent these.
at these places.
Inspections are used to
management
being used to identify Check-ups will be done to rate the safety of roads
locations where fatal and see if countermeasures are and award stars, with the MOTORISTS often brake
other serious crashes working. safest roads getting five hard at the last moment
happen frequently. The International Road stars. or change lanes without
Traffic engineering Assessment Programme Traffic engineering warning as they approach
officials will look at will be used to identify measures can be used to roadworks.
hazardous locations, work hazardous locations and fix any unsafe roads that Speeding at roadworks
out what is causing the find ways to reduce crashes scored below three stars. is common.
This is despite the
greater risk of crashes
near roadworks.
Conclusion The municipality has
programmes to manage
road closures and
PROGRESS has been made in reducing together and make life better for the city’s incidents.
road deaths in eThekwini, but for this to poor, who are more likely than anyone There are inspectors
continue, partnerships must be forged. else to be victims of crashes. checking on roadworks to
Everyone involved needs to know his If we do these things right we can make see that the right signage
or her role in the Road Safety Plan. eThekwini a better place to live in, work, is in place and that
Road safety efforts can bring people play and visit. regulations are followed.You can also read
