The Battle Against Killer Speed
HE above messages speak out loud and clear. But do they actually hit home any more, or have they become clichés that the motoring public largely ignores? Road safety practitioners emphasize the need for speed reduction as a primary factor in cutting fatalities and serious injuries. Unfortunately, road users often contest these enforcement efforts. International research indicates that a reduction in speed is the quickest way to lower road carnage. This is supported by looking at South African statistics for 1973 when the oil crisis resulted in the lowering of speed limits to 80 kph. The number of fatalities and serious and disabling injuries dropped markedly during this period of strict enforcement because of the need to save fuel. The more than 30 per cent reduction in fatalities for KwaZulu-Natal from 1996 to 1999 was also due to increased speed prosecution enforcement, including the opening of a camera office with the capacity to administer more than a million fines annually.
The fact that traffic enforcement officers are referred to as "speed cops" is an indication of the perception by drivers that speed offences are targeted because they are an easy source of revenue. In well-planned road safety efforts this should not be true. Speed enforcement should take place in areas where there is a history of crashes. Unfortunately, there are still some local authorities that do use speed trapping as a source of revenue. Research shows that speed is the primary factor in 30 per cent of crashes, and a contributing factor in a further 40 per cent. This means that in the vast majority of cases, slower driving will either reduce the severity of a crash or make it avoidable. Twenty South Africans lose their lives every day as a direct result of speed. What is necessary is that drivers learn to drive at speeds that are appropriate to the conditions. The maximum speed of 120 kph is considered safe for light vehicles on national roads and freeways. This means that when there is rain or mist, when the driver is tired, when there is the possibility of pedestrian or animal activity, or when the vehicle is not in tip-top roadworthy condition, the speed should be below the maximum. Nearly 70 per cent of the fatal crashes on our roads involve ordinary light sedan cars. Speed control has many other effects besides a reduction in crashes. When one forces drivers to slow down, their attitude changes. Not only will one arrive alive, but one will also arrive at one’s destination more relaxed. Also, the potential for embarrassing confrontations is reduced. How many of us have seen the humiliation that wives or girlfriends had to suffer as their aggressive driving partner swears and gesticulates in what closely resembles road rage? Although we are fortunate to enjoy one of the most sophisticated and wonderful road systems and infrastructures in the world, we are still a country that is developing. For this reason we need to take into account situations caused by poverty on our roads. Some vehicles are not maintained to the high standards one finds in Europe or the USA, and this is especially true for tyres and brakes. We have pedestrians even on our freeways, and often animals stray on to roads because of a lack of fencing, or the need to graze them in places such as on verges where the grass is lush. Inadequately trained and inexperienced drivers are common on our roads. Failure by many to wear seat belts (or vehicles such as taxis which do not have such safety restraints) makes passengers vulnerable. Reduction in general speed makes the consequences of all these factors less serious or avoidable if speed is reduced. So lift your right foot slightly, and get into the habit of driving more courteously, more slowly and more carefully. You may save your own life. You may save the life of a loved one. You may save the life of somebody else by avoiding a crash altogether. And you will definitely save some precious money to counteract the spiralling fuel costs.
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