Programme director
Director-General of Transport, Mr George Mahlalela
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Protocol observed.
In about 100 days, the world’s attention will be on South Africa when we host the most spectacular event in the history of African sport, the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Efficient transportation of spectators and road safety will be a priority to making this event a memorable success.
As we host the world for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup, we are also aware that road safety has become an international concern. Globally, billions of dollars are spent in attempts to address the negative effects of road crashes as the loss of lives, property and limited human resources continues to rocket every day.
This summit aims at providing solutions to the road safety challenge. Globally some 3 400 men, women and children are killed every single day on the road and between 20 and 50 million people sustain injuries. The latest global status report on road safety in 178 countries shows that road traffic injuries remain a public health concern, particularly for low-income countries.
In July last year, ministers, government officials and road safety activists from across Africa pledged support for a United Nations ecade of Action for Road Safety on their continent and around the world. In the new make roads safe report issued at the conference, delegates were warned that road injuries could become another killer epidemic on the scale of HIV and AIDS.
Ladies and gentlemen, the critical situation of Africa’s roads was revealed at the Make Roads Safe conference which revealed that:
* Africa has the highest road death rate per population in the world, 32,2 people per 100 000 population are killed in road crashes.
* Africa’s road deaths are currently over 200 000 a year and are predicted to rise by at least 80 percent by 2020.
* By 2015, road crashes will be the number one killer of children aged five to 14 in Africa, outstripping malaria and HIV and AIDS.
* Road crashes are estimated to cost African countries at least of one to three percent of their gross national product (GNP).
Another matter which concerns us is that the global status report on road safety in Africa indicates that 62 percent of the reported road crashes involve vulnerable road users. These are pedestrians, cyclists and those using motorised two and three wheelers.
Also a matter of great concern is that it is the poorest communities who live alongside busy highways and deadly roads. It is the poorest children who have to negotiate the most dangerous routes to school. We have no other option but to act individually and collectively, as national governments and through multilateral organisations. It is time for all of us to commit to a Decade of Action for Road Safety!
Measures to fight road carnage
In 2007 ministers responsible for transport and health in Africa endorsed the call for international dialogue on this issue. At this session, African ministers recalled a United Nations resolution which endorsed the world report on road traffic injury prevention.
The ministers also recalled the United Nations resolution which recognises the need for continuous rising of awareness. The African ministers also called upon the G8 Summit, held in Germany in June 2007, to recognise the urgent need to improve road safety in Africa particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa.
As part of this growing movement, African countries including ourselves were at the first ever global United Nations Ministerial Conference on Road Safety that was held in Moscow last November. In Moscow, ministers debated on how to develop road safety national plans and targets, and how to implement over a decade, safe roads globally.
The road safety strategy
Our road safety strategy and the public transport strategy are our pillars to implement actions that turn the tide in reducing road crashes. In this case, four fundamentals dictate the requirements of a South African road safety strategy.
These are:
* the millennium development goals for the transport sector
* the need for a reduction in unnatural causes of death
* the contribution that traffic management can make to growth and development in our country and
* the provision of an enabling environment for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The target set by Transport Ministers from the African continent in the millennium development goals document includes among other issues, the halving of road fatalities by 2014. The number of deaths and injuries that take place in developing countries due to traffic crashes is recognised by the World Bank as a priority health issue. South Africa is unfortunately a big part of this trend.
In South Africa, we are rolling out a safety strategy that includes the following:
* Enforcement: heavy, visible, and identification of repeat offenders.
* Education and communication: emotive advertisements, showing consequences of unsafe behaviour and dealing with a single common offence at any one time
* Engineering: low cost engineering at hazardous locations has the highest possible impact, a substantial amount of which must be aimed at protecting pedestrians
* Evaluation: research to ensure a data driven, scientifically based strategy
* Cooperation and coordination between all role players and involvement of business, industry and civil society.
We would like the summit to discuss the formation of road safety councils at local and district levels and municipalities. During this summit we are going to break into commissions that should discuss and interrogate how road safety forums should work effectively to promote road safety and consequently reflect a down ward trend on road fatalities.
As a transport family, we must all play special roles in discussions during commissions on the tasks and responsibilities of the community road safety councils that should include:
* Enforcement: to deter offences and encourage compliance with road traffic regulations, working closely together with the road traffic regulations, road traffic authorities within the community road safety council area.
* Engineering: identifying remedial measures in hazardous areas and liaising with the relevant traffic authorities to institute appropriate preventative measures within the Community Road Safety Council area.
* Education: community road safety councils will identify local road safety education issues and bring them to the attention of the relevant bodies and authorities. The council will also identify and interrogate local small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and potential SMMEs within the community road safety council area for involvement in road safety projects coordinated by the Department.
Road accidents benefit scheme
On 12 February we released for public comment the draft road accident benefit scheme. Cabinet approved the Road Accident Fund draft no-fault policy for publication for consultation and public comments on 18 November 2009. The draft no-fault policy proposes major changes to the motor vehicle accident compensation scheme for personal injury or death.
The current motor vehicle accident compensation scheme operates in a landscape that is populated by claimants, attorneys and medical practitioners and medical service providers. A number of existing stakeholders will be negatively affected financially in the quest to transform the current insurance based scheme to one based on principles that are aligned to the proposed comprehensive social security scheme.
The current motor vehicle accident compensation landscape consists of a space in which the Road Accident fund is heavily criticised in the media and in affluent society by powerful organised lobby groups that pursue their own agendas in order to prolong the status quo in a quest to benefit financially from the current scheme.
On the other hand the current motor vehicle accident compensation landscape is populated by claimants who are divided and whose only interest is to receive fair and reasonable compensation for financial losses they may have suffered as soon as reasonably possible.
The proposed no-fault scheme aims to provide compensation that does not depend on the status of the injured or deceased person. It aims to make user friendly complicated claiming procedures that tend to encourage the use of attorneys to claim on behalf of claimants and that compensation is received as soon as is reasonably possible.
In addition, by eliminating fault or wrongdoing as a determinant of compensation, a number of people who would previously not have been able to claim, will be entitled to benefits under the proposed scheme.
Creating a new crop of driver
In the next three to five years, a driver’s licence in South Africa will cease to be the preserve of a few. From 2010 every 18 year old must either have a learner’s licence or have obtained a driving licence as they complete grade 12. We are working closely with the Department of Basic Education to ensure the smooth implementation of this programme.
The products of this great movement will be at the forefront of a culture change which we must not only see but also all seek to become. The children of today, the drivers of the future must lead the shift from a culture of lawlessness to a new culture which values one’s life and treasures that of others.
Implementation of Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO)
In this regard the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences gives credence to the fact that road safety is key to responsible management of road transport operations. As we embark on a journey that will redefine traffic enforcement and increase safety on our roads, we say we can no longer tolerate irresponsible behaviour of some drivers on our roads.
AARTO is aimed at decriminalising traffic violations. The implementation of AARTO forges a closer and more effective and efficient link between the enforcement and the adjudication process. It is an objective, transparent and fair process. AARTO brings parity of fines across the country, which will encourage motorists to take traffic violations and resulting fines with the seriousness they deserve.
Through this summit, ladies and gentlemen, let us come up with tangible solutions to the challenge of road traffic fatalities that has robbed some of our beloved ones. Together we can prevent more deaths from ravaging our communities and add more investment in the economy.
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Transport
26 February 2010
