Traffic management issues

 Education

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA 2014) suggests that ongoing road safety education for both farmers and community members, including schoolchildren, should be undertaken. The ‘four E’ approach (education, engineering, enforcement and evaluation) based on the road safety model of Victoria, Australia, which the KwaZulu-Natal Province adopted, should be implemented. However, in order for the ‘four E’ approach to work, there had to be better co-ordination between the various spheres. The KZN-DoT and other stakeholders should conduct road safety awareness campaigns to teach the community members about road safety.

This needs to be taught at the schools and in the community. The CRSC also needs to be empowered in terms of conducting road safety education and awareness campaigns. Relevant road safety content in the right language must to be communicated to them and organised in an easy-to-use manner suitable for the targeted audiences. This could be done through the use of Junior Traffic Training Centres (JTTCs) as shown in Figure 6.7. A road safety mat with illustrations that

resemble the road and its features would be used to educate junior school children.

The advantage of using the JTTCs would be that they are portable and can be moved from one place to the next. They can be used in all the schools where road safety education is required. Children learn and understand better through practical sessions.

Figure 6.7: Road safety education for schoolchildren at a Junior Traffic Training Centre.

Source: Groom 2012.

 Enforcement

While being under-resourced, the Newcastle Traffic Department, in partnership with the RoadTraffic Inspectorate and SAPS, should commit to prioritising enforcement activities in the Blaauwbosch area through a multi-disciplinary approach. Random road blocks should be held and visible policing initiated. High visibility policing is a preferred deterrent for illegal behaviour, and is regarded as one of the most effective methods of policing. Detective Inspector Frank Gilroy, Parramatta Local County Crime Manager, put it simply, when he said: “High visibility policing is what the community are asking for, and it is true that offenders become extremely aware of the fact that police are in the area” (South Wales Police 2004 [sp]).

Having different law enforcement authorities is ideal for the South African situation.

Enforcement agencies are structured at provincial, municipal and metropolitan levels.

Special policing needs are also addressed through cross-border operations, which allow officers to work with their counterparts from neighbouring countries, Immigration Officers and the SAPS. Figure 6.8 shows an enforcement operation that is multi- disciplinary because it involves both the SAPS and the local traffic authorities. Various skills can be applied to ensure road safety compliance such an instance.

Figure 6.8: Traffic law enforcement.

Source: Jonckie 2009.

6.3.4 Community-driven road safety

A research study conducted by Thomson (1997), revealed that empowering people with relevant knowledge and skills can have a positive contribution. Community development requires all people, especially ordinary citizens, to initiate and promote ways in which to resolve problems or issues that affect their lives. The community should learn to take the lead. They should not wait for the government, politicians or experts to initiate change and make decisions for them in matters that relate to their problems.

The CRSC and other community structures should be mobilised to be more representative of all the community sectors. More resources should be allocated to community road safety initiatives and interventions. The following are some of the recommendations to promote road safety by involving the community:

 Community speed watch

It is recommended that volunteers from the community work with the local traffic authorities to watch the speed of vehicles in the areas with high crash data. They would use a device that indicated the speed of an approaching vehicle, and the motorist could also see the speed at which they are driving, and would suddenly slow down. This would encourage motorists to drive within the required speed limits, especially near built-up areas and school zones. A similar programme is underway in the UK, where community members volunteer to work with the local traffic authorities to monitor the speed of the vehicles. They use the required device as shown in the photograph in Figure 6.9.

Figure 6.9: Community speed watch.

Source: Sway Parish Council 2015.

 Road safety champions

Another recommendation is that certain members of the community, especially youth, could be selected to be road safety champions. These people would be given authority to contact the media (local community radio and newspapers) about all information related to road safety. They could also spearhead all road safety activities

that take place within the community, once they are trained and empowered.

Innovative road safety solutions could also be generated by these individuals because of their experience and skills.

 School crossing patrol

It is recommended that adult community members who live in close proximity of the schools volunteer to assist school learners when they cross the busy roads to and from school on a daily basis. The local road safety office or the traffic department would provide training to those volunteers as well as the necessary equipment so that they can do the work effectively and efficiently without putting themselves in danger.

Figure 6.10 shows an example of a school crossing patrol where an adult volunteer assists small children in safely crossing the road. Proper equipment and clear visibility of the volunteer should be ensured.

Figure 6.10: School crossing patrol.

Source: Curley et al 2014.

 ‘Small Steps’ team

A more practical recommendation is that a team or group of parents would volunteer to teach junior primary school children about the correct way to use or follow road safety rules. This would be done regularly by taking the schoolchildren out to the road

environment during off-peak time, and teaching them the correct road safety rules.

The main focus should be on crossing the road safely, how to walk on the right side of the road and safe places to play. This project had been successfully applied in most primary schools in the UK, and can work for South Africa as well through vigorous mobilisation of community members. Figure 6.11 shows an example of how the ‘Small Steps’ project can be undertaken.

Figure 6.11: ‘Small Steps’ project.

Source: W ikiHow 2016.

 Black Spot Identification Programme

Community members could be a valuable source of information in the areas where they reside. They know exactly where the incidents of crashes normally take place, and could even speculate about the reasons, effects and solutions to these incidents.

The Black Spot Identification Programme is recommended in this case. It involves requesting the community members to identify and report all the areas in their communities where most crashes occur. These areas are regarded as ‘black spots’

or hazardous locations (haz locs). A form could be designed to assist the community members in capturing all the necessary information about the hazardous locations (Annexure J). They could then submit it to the relevant authorities, who could then in

carry out further investigations to remedy the situation. Figure 6.12 shows an example of the signage that can be used to warn the motorists about a hazardous location in a particular section of the road.

Figure 6.12: Black spot that has been identified.

Source: Kildare Now 2016.

 Road safety publicity

The area of Newcastle has various media platforms that could be used to publicise road safety issues. This could be done in collaboration with all the identified stakeholders in this research study. The following are some of the methods that are recommended:

o Newcastle Community Radio – negotiations to obtain slots in which to discuss road safety issues on a regular basis could be arranged. Stakeholders could take turns to participate in this project and deal with different themes on various days.

o Local newspapers – there were four newspapers produced every week in the area of Newcastle and delivered to all the citizens. A column or space could

be negotiated to teach people about road safety. Photos of road crashes could also be publicised to warn the public about road safety issues.

o Road safety Fridays – every Friday of the week could have a road safety theme that road safety activists and the public could follow. These could also be displayed on the notice boards in schools, community centres, malls and libraries, as well as feature on the community radio.

o Annual Road Safety Show – the Newcastle Local Municipality hosted an annual show where all themes of road safety could also be showcased.

Different mascots could be used to convey the road safety messages to the primary school children that attend the show.

o Road safety toll-free number –a hotline could be set up whereby all road safety transgressions could be reported by community members. This will include the place, date and type of incident, as well as the vehicle registration number.

These transgressions could then be communicated to the offenders as warnings before any form of prosecution takes place.

o Name and shame Campaign – all road safety offences could be publicised and made known to the public, including the people who committed the offence.

This would lower the level of contraventions because people would not want to be publicly shamed.

o Social marketing – the use of social media is widespread and powerful these days. Posting tips, advice and news about road safety on social media on a regular basis could help to heighten the level of road safety awareness.

Figure 6.13 displays examples of billboards that can be used in road safety publicity.

Figure 6.13: Examples of road safety publicity.

Source: USA Washington, DC, District Department of Transport 2016; Spary 2015.

Road safety is a collective responsibility. A government with a strong political will and powers should take the lead. Horizontal integration and involvement of other sector departments and their activities or programmes have a direct bearing on the level of road safety. Inter-sphere coordination attests to the fact that road safety is a shared concurrent function that involves national, provincial and local governments. Inter- governmental and inter-sphere co-operation are the cornerstones of a successful road safety strategy.