Address by the Minister of Transport, Mr Joe Maswanganyi, on the occasion of the 2nd National Youth Road Safety Summit, Velmore Hotel, Centurion Gauteng
Programme Director;
All Transport and Community Safety MECs present;
Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers of Transport Entities,
Deputy Director General of Roads, Mr Chris Hlabisa;
Leaders of the bus and taxi industries;
All transport sector stakeholders present;
Representatives of various community and faith based organisations;
Road Safety activists;
Members of the media;
Ladies and gentlemen;
As we gather here today for the 2nd National Youth Road Safety Summit, we need to take stock of the progress made since our maiden summit in 2016.
We need to take a closer look at the challenges that were encountered and reflect on collective achievements in the implementation of the resolutions taken at that Summit.
This summit is convened at a time when as we celebrate the Month of June in recognition of the heroism of the youth of 1976 who took on the apartheid regime to register their total rejection of the diabolical Bantu Education system. They also took to the streets in order to advance the goals of the broader struggle for liberation and democracy in South Africa, which significantly led to a change in the course of the country’s history and political future.
This year’s National Youth Day was celebrated under the theme: “The Year of OR Tambo: Advancing Youth Economic Empowerment”.
It is therefore important that in our quest to advance the youth economic empowerment, we also reflect at possible deterrents and impediments such as road fatalities and injuries that continue to maim our youth.
Ladies and gentlemen, South Africa committed itself to achieve the goals of the Decade of Action by implementing a 365 days road safety programme focusing on 4Es of Education, Engineering, Enforcement and Evaluation.
We therefore must ensure that the outcomes of this summit becomes integral to our substantial commitment and help show the rest of the world the intensity of our devotion towards realising the resolutions of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety.
It is envisaged that our well-intentioned convergence under the theme #BEINGSAFEISCOOL will inspire our deliberations and collective endeavours towards achieving the crucial feature of this slogan.
I say this because we cannot expect to move forward as a country if we continue to unrelentingly bear the brunt of the human and economic costs created by road fatalities.
You would recall that the first National Road Safety Summit, held on 24 June 2016, at the St George Hotel in Irene, adopted a number resolutions emanating from constructive inputs by the youth of all provinces, agencies of the department of transport, non-governmental organisations, road safety experts and the public transport industry.
The gathering was also the biggest in terms of setting the agenda for the implementation of the decade of action for road safety 2011-2020 by young people.
The gathering also marked the beginning of a new chapter and gave life to the resolution of the 2015 Road Safety Summit that called for the involvement of the youth in road safety.
The Summit officially launched YOURS in SA with international delegates from the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety Collaboration addressing delegates. Furthermore the national youth structure was established and a declaration drafted.
YOURS was established to fulfil the following main objectives on road safety:
- give a voice to young people on the road safety issue;
- contribute to a shift in attitudes and behaviour towards road safety among young people;
- encourage and support a cadre of national leaders for road safety; and;
- give the youth an opportunity to discuss and empower themselves with innovative ideas and management of road safety.
Ladies and gentlemen, although progress has been made in implementing the resolutions that were adopted at the last Summit, it is an indictment on all of us that the implementation of some of the resolutions is still outstanding.
Key amongst these outstanding resolutions is the following:
- lack of financial support; to YOURS;
- lack of office accommodation; and
- lack of tools of trade; and
- programming challenges during road safety activations;
It is inexcusable that, in a country where a highest number of fatalities occur amongst young people between the ages of 15 and 34 accounting for 36.27% of the population, we will still be complacent in the implementation of these important resolutions as a result of the limited allocation of resources, by both nationally and provincially departments of transport and entities.
Resourcing YOURS should be an integral part of the implementation of the approved National Road Safety Strategy by all stakeholders involved in road safety.
Notwithstanding the challenges of resources and support generally, YOURS has been able to implement its programmes targeting the youth focusing on Driver road safety in Institutions of Higher Learning in all nine provinces. These programmes were implemented by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), provinces, YOURS NEC Members and through Kasi Road Safety, a member of the YOURS.
Programmes implemented took the format of a workshop where youth were educated on:
- Driver safety with focus on impaired driving;
- Occupants’ safety;
- Negligent driving; and
- Distracted driving;
Notably, during the implementation of these programmes, there were regular interactions with the media.
I take this opportunity to congratulate the outgoing YOURS NEC for the big milestone on the development of a comprehensive Youth Road Safety Programme.
This summit is tasked to further engage robustly on matters noted as challenges by the current leadership of YOURS a road map should be developed to resolve these challenges.
Let us spare no moment in finding new initiatives and solutions that will lay a solid foundation for generations to come and ensure that we reduce road fatalities and injuries.
We have all the knowledge, abilities and capabilities, under this roof, to develop and craft very informed road maps and guidelines, which should be an instrument used to ensure that we first sustain YOURS as a structure followed by its life changing programmes.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Many lives continue to be lost on our roads. Road traffic fatalities are amongst the main causes of death in South Africa today. This results in serious social and economic costs for the country. The economic ramifications include the increase in the social development and health budgets spent. Of extreme concern is that 80% of road crash fatalities are adults and males aged between 19 and 34 years old.
Pedestrians are the most vulnerable constituting just under 40% of fatalities in both urban and rural areas. New and inexperience drivers between the age of 25 and 34 years of age are most likely to die on the roads. Women are most likely to die on the roads as passengers especially in public transport vehicles while children are affected as passengers and pedestrians.
Statistics show that light passenger vehicles and light delivery vehicles contribute the highest number of fatal crashes on the roads. Light passenger vehicles account for 48% of fatal crashes followed by light delivery vehicles at 19%. Minibuses contribute 9.7%, buses 1.3% and trucks 1.7%.
Five major contributory factors to crashes have been identified as follows:
- Speeding that are too high for circumstance leading to loss of control and inability to avoid hazards;
- Secondly, abuse of alcohol by both drivers and pedestrian;
- Followed by dangerous overtaking i.e. overtaking in the face of oncoming traffic;
- Vehicle fitness defective tyres, steering and brakes especially on public passenger and freight transport; and
- Pedestrian negligence namely jaywalking, walking on freeways, drinking and walking and failing to wear clothes.
This summit must reflect on these majors, their implications and advise us on the best possible solutions.
Amongst other interventions that government is implementing to deal with the scourge of road carnages, is to streamline and align traffic law-enforcement across all three spheres of Government and introduce a 24/7 shift system.
The statistics released persistently indicates that the majority of accidents happen in the hours between 22h00 and 6 am. The truth of the matter is that available resources in South Africa do not permit this huge duplication of functions and multiple independent command and control structures that currently exist within our traffic law-enforcement fraternity.
The constitutional imperative that there be a Single Police Service where Municipal, Metro and traffic police should be placed under the command and control of the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service must soon become a reality.
There is a dire need for the harmonisation of the road traffic and law-enforcement in the country which will facilitate coordination, collaboration and ensure implementation and compliance with agreed uniform national standards.
This calls for the Road Safety Advisory Council which was established under the auspices of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to complete its report into the strategic direction, oversight and critical assessment of proposed road safety initiatives and campaigns.
Further to the above, our engagements with the Department of Justice to introduce minimum sentences for negligent and reckless driving are advanced. We are seeking to reclassify drunken driving from a Schedule 3, which is less severe to a 5 more severe Schedule 5 offence to ensure those who negligently cause crashes on the roads do not get bail easily and spend time behind bars.
As you may be aware, amongst others, new regulations are implementing is to compel passengers in motor vehicles to wear seatbelts and drivers to ensure that children under the age of three years are place on car seats or child restraints whenever they are transported on public roads came into effect.
In the new regulations, we have proposed the practical re-testing of drivers who make an application for the renewal of driving licence cards. The idea is not to make applicants to rewrite test but it is for the applicant to practical demonstrate his driving ability on a vehicle for which he or she is seeking a new licence. This is done in order to eliminate fraudsters and ensure that an applicant knows the rules of the roads and is fit to drive the class of vehicle for which they are seeking a licence.
Ladies and gentlemen, corrupt public servants such as traffic officers who take bribes and allow road users who drive unroadworthy vehicles or to continue driving while drunk only serve to undermine the laws that are put in place to prevent such occurrences. Public servants who authorise and issue licenses to incompetent and under-trained drivers are also costing us dearly on the roads. To the good ones, keep up the good work.
The fight against corruption continues to be taken forward by the Anti-Corruption Inter-Ministerial Committee. Government has in place seven anti-corruption institutions and 17 pieces of legislation which are intended to combat corruption. This demonstrates a concerted effort by government to break the back of this scourge in the country.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that I capture the sentiments of everyone gathered here today when I say that the importance of the National Youth Road Safety Summit cannot be overstated. Our dialogue and engagements will be of critical importance to the development of our country and economy, particularly that of our youth.
So let us engage and let us continue building on the legacy of the founding fathers of our maturing democratic nation, not forgetting to emulate the 1976 youth.
Our vitally important odyssey towards achieving uncompromised and dependable safety on our roads is shared and we all need to play our role by behaving and demonstrating responsible, patriotic and compassionate behaviour as citizens.
You would be hard pressed not to agree with me when I say that, as patriots and caring citizens, gathered here in this splendid venue cannot afford to allow the economic impact of road fatalities to circumvent our common vision and objectives as spelled out by the National Development Plan (NDP).
You would know that The NDP aims to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality by 2030. According to the plan, South Africa can realise these goals by drawing on the energies of its people, growing an inclusive economy, building capabilities, enhancing the capacity of the state, and promoting leadership and partnerships throughout society.
I am therefore calling on all of your energies and mental contributions to make our gathering a very fruitful and incisive one because it is important for the future our country.
Let us be emboldened by the Freedom Charter of 1955 as well as our wonderful democratic and constitutional rights to public participation in matters that shape our country.
Together we can reverse the negative consequences of this regrettable scourge and our engagement at this summit will undoubtedly prove that.
To this end, I would like to thank the outgoing National Executive Committee (NEC) of YOURS and wish the incoming NEC well.
I THANK YOU!!
