The Department of Transport has launched a pedestrian safety road show as part of a campaign, it says, to change the behaviour of road users.
The Department of Transport has launched a pedestrian safety road show as part of a campaign, it says, to change the behaviour of road users.
reported that the department said the road show was important ahead of the Easter holidays as about 40 per cent of all road deaths in South Africa in 2002 were pedestrians. It was launched in Mpumalanga and will be rolled out in all provinces by the end of June.
“We have taken a decision this year to take our projects to our communities, using the pedestrian road shows as a starting point of the Arrive Alive campaign,” said manager of road safety projects Ntau Letebele.
“Over the next two months, we will be taking this campaign to even the most remote areas of our country in an attempt to educate people on how to make our road network safe for everyone. Arrive Alive is an ongoing campaign and we will involve all stakeholders in our communities to make this campaign work for our country,” Letebele said.
He said that there were many reasons for high number of road deaths, including motorists’ disregard for pedestrians crossings, pedestrians not wearing reflective or visible clothing when walking at night or during adverse weather conditions and pedestrians not using bridges provided for crossing highways.
A study commissioned by the department last year on community needs, perceptions and recommendations for the Arrive Alive campaign showed that community involvement and public participation in road safety issues were critical for changing the behaviour of all road users. “The response to the study was very informative, with various suggestions and possible solutions that could assist in reducing pedestrian and road accidents,” he said.
Meanwhile, traffic authorities warned motorists that energy drinks were not substitutes for rest. Letebele said many motorists believed energy drinks would keep them alert during long journeys.
“We find an increasing trend in the use of these drinks and want people not to be misled into believing they are a substitute for rest. On numerous occasions we have come across vehicles overturned and found evidence of empty energy drink cans among the wreckage,” Letebele said.