14 January 2007
Senior officials from National, Provincial and Local Governments,
The organisers of this event,
Distinguished members of the media,
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC),
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is indeed with honour that I am here today to address a full-house
contingent of the media. I am also pleased to note that our Arrive Alive
campaign has raised a huge interest in the local media during the festive
season.
Today, as Minister of Transport, I am declaring the December 2006 to January
2007 Arrive Alive Festive Season Traffic Report.
Can we all stand and observe a moment of silence in the honour and
remembrance of all victims of motor vehicle accidents. Thank you.
My sincere appreciation goes to all my Provincial colleagues and comrades,
MECs for Transport, Roads, Traffic and Public Safety in all nine provinces for
their initiatives, their participation and dedication to this nationwide safety
programme. As you all know, our MECs were on the ground during the festive
season. Most of them were in their reflective jackets and traffic uniforms at
roadblocks issuing information pamphlets and interacting with the public.
I also took time to join our law enforcement officers to give them support
for their excellent contribution in saving lives. Allow me to take this
opportunity to thank all our law enforcement agencies under the co-ordination
of the RTMC, our traffic departments both at provincial and local levels, the
South African Police Service, the South African National Defence Force, the
Emergency Services (our Ambulance Service and Fire Brigade), and the Department
of Health. (Our doctors and nurses are often forgotten. They continue to play
an immeasurable contribution at hospitals).
The following factors contribute to the high number of traffic offences:
* public attitude towards road safety
* lack of effective and consistent policing
* poor road conditions
* poor driving skills/bad driving habits
* poor roadworthiness of vehicles
* pedestrian and or animal presence
* rapid urbanisation.
Ladies and Gentlemen, may I remind you that the main objective of the Arrive
Alive campaign since its inception has been "to reduce the crashes and
resultant fatalities (as compared to the same period the previous year").
Number of Fatal Crashes
During the 1 December 2006 to 10 January 2007 holiday period, the number of
fatal crashes reduced by 59 (4,13%) from 1 428 during the same period last year
to 1 369.
Road fatalities reduced by 81 (4,67%) from 1 726 to 1 645 over the same
period. In short, we have achieved a reduction of 4,67% in fatalities and a
reduction of 4,13% in the number of fatal crashes as well as a reduction of
4,5% in the number of vehicles involved.
With the exception of the Free State and North West, the seven (7) other
provinces all recorded a reduction in fatal crashes. On a provincial percentage
basis the biggest decrease was recorded in Limpopo with a reduction of 33
(23,24%) from 142 crashes to 109. The Western Cape recorded a decrease of 18
(11,84%) and Mpumalanga a decrease of 14 (10,07%).
Five provinces recorded decreases in the number of fatalities. Limpopo
recorded the biggest decrease of 49 (27,86%), followed by the Western Cape with
a decrease of 26 (14,77%) and Mpumalanga with a decrease of 25 (14,25).
On a provincial percentage basis the biggest increase in the number of
fatalities was recorded in the Northern Cape where the number of fatalities
increased by 7 (12,28) from 57 to 64, North West by 12 from 123 to 135, Eastern
Cape by 11 from 201 to 212.
Road user fatalities changed as follows:
* driver fatalities: decreased by 4 (0,82%) from 434 to 430
* passenger fatalities: decreased by 4 (0,65%) from 574 to 570
* pedestrian fatalities: decreased by 73 (10,21%) from 718 to 645.
Number of vehicles involved in fatal crashes:
The total number of motorised vehicles involved in fatal crashes increased
by 57 (3,40%) from 1 673 to 1 730.
* minibuses: increased by 58 from 106 to 164
* minibus taxis: decreased by 59 from 84 to 25
* buses: decreased by 2 from 40 to 38
* trucks: by 2 from 139 to 137
* cyclists: decreased by 11 from 39 to 28.
Implementation of the Road Safety Strategy
The ever-growing number of road traffic crashes and related deaths
demonstrate that we need to strengthen current programmes and interventions.
Poor level of safety on our roads is directly related to the degree of
lawlessness on the roads, which is unacceptable and intolerable. In order to
improve the level of law compliance we will accelerate implementation of the
road safety strategy in the following key interventions:
* An increase in the number of traffic officers to at all traffic
authorities to keep pace with the increase in the number of vehicles and level
of lawlessness, which should also provide for the expected increased demand
during 2010 Soccer World Cup event.
* Dedicated traffic patrol teams to undertake daily uninterrupted patrols at
dangerous locations.
* Improved and participative road safety education programmes at schools and
other training institutions as well as within communities, will be developed
and rolled out.
* Work with road authorities to accept a pro-active approach in the
identification of pedestrian hazardous locations on the street and road network
such remedial measures in the form of street lighting, traffic signals and
traffic calming where feasible.
* Co-ordination is necessary with all stakeholders in government at all levels
(local authority and provinces) but also with other government departments �
Health, Justice, Safety and Security, Labour, Education and others and
stakeholders in business and industry, as well as the non-governmental
organisation (NGO) community and with transport organisations such as the
National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA),
Business against Crime and the Road Freight Association.
As you all know, we have launched South Africa's comprehensive new road
safety strategy, which we have called new The Road Safety Strategy. The
strategy is about getting to grips with the underlying causes of crashes and
deaths on our roads. It looks at systems and structures and proposes a wide
range of interlinked investment programmes and reform actions to radically
improve the safety of the total road environment.
We will therefore invest in creating better, more responsible drivers and
educated, road-conscious pedestrians. We will introduce strong measures to
improve vehicle safety and we will upgrade the condition of our road network
where it counts most, starting with remedial engineering works and improved
signage at the most critical hazardous locations that the provinces have
already identified.
The strategy puts a high priority on co-ordinated action in all the key
areas of road safety: law compliance, driver fitness and training, vehicle
condition, fleet regulation, overload control, pedestrian education, direct
community road safety participation and active passenger and public
empowerment. It will build the institutional capacity and public support
required to stamp out fraud and corruption, effectively penalise serious
traffic offenders and build a culture of careful and responsible road use.
For this year and beyond, let us commit ourselves to safety on our roads. I
call upon communities to volunteer themselves in making our roads a safe place.
With these I thank you for you attention and patience.
Issued by: Department of Transport
14 January 2007
