MEDIA STATEMENT

MEDIA STATEMENT BY KWAZULU-NATAL MEC FOR TRANSPORT, SAFETY AND SECURITY, MR. BHEKI CELE DURING THE LAUNCH OF THE SECOND PHASE OF INTELLIGENT ROAD STUDS AT HILTON HOTEL (DURBAN) ON 8 JULY 2004

We are gathered here today for the launch of the second phase of Intelligent Roads Studs (IRS). As has been explained before, these are new "Cat Eyes" go beyond just reflecting a vehicle’s head lights but, most importantly, increase visibility by up to ten times thus delineating the roadway for up to a kilometre ahead.

Having said that I would like to remind everybody present here today that our mandated development goal as the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport is to create a safe road environment through the annual reduction of road crashes. We do this through a holistic programme that addresses all the known causes of road crashes including road traffic enforcement, road safety education and the analysis and re-engineering of hazardous locations.

It is a well-known fact that the previous Apartheid government ignored rural areas in terms of road safety. We lived with these legacies and as I speak to you right now, more than 500 000 road crashes occur in South Africa involving 10 000 fatalities per annum. These cost the State R13.8 billion per annum.

Intelligent Road Studs also address older driver vision needs because driver’s visual capabilities decline with age.

They (Intelligent Road Studs) can be used in the following places:

• high accident frequency locations,
• sites which frequently experience adverse conditions such as rain or fog,
• bends and junctions,
• entrances to and interiors to channels,
• traffic circles,
• pedestrian crossings, and
• cycle lanes.

In conclusion, I would like to state that our ten year democracy celebrations will be even more meaningful through the reduction of road crashes. We know that one death is one too many but through technological intervention we hope we shall minimize crashes significantly.

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