Problem Pedestrians or Manic Motorists?

Around 40% of people killed on South Africa’s roads are pedestrians. This makes up a total of 4000 deaths annually, and several thousand serious injuries. This is the single largest group of road users who lose their lives, and thus the most vulnerable.

A pedestrian hit at 65 kph has a very small chance of survival of 10%, and if they do survive, injuries will be very serious, and probably result in permanent disability. At a little over this speed, there is NO chance of survival at all. Hence, the vast majority of pedestrians hit by vehicles on national roads do not survive.

The law states that no pedestrians are allowed on freeways, but sometimes these roads are built without taking into account the needs of local communities, with settlements on one side of the roads, and schools, taverns, places of employment or shopping facilities on the other. A pedestrian will not usually walk several hundred metres to an overhead bridge, and rather take a chance of running across the road.

When designing roads, engineers need to take into account the requirements of pedestrians, particularly near schools, shops and bridges and approaches to bridges. This is especially true in rural areas where road verges are not weather proof, and in wet weather mud and wet grass cause people to walk on the roads which most of the time also do not have street lighting.

Most people are not able to gauge the speed of an oncoming vehicle over a distance of more than 150 metres. When vehicles are travelling fast, this means that one has only seconds to react, and makes all pedestrians, and especially those with little experience in traffic, vulnerable to being hurt or killed.

It is very difficult to enforce pedestrian behaviour because people do not always carry identification, and with the high rates of crime the police do not see these offences as a priority.

When pedestrian facilities are built, one needs to ensure that they are secure, safe, protect pedestrians, are accessible and convenient, as well as being attractive and cost effective.

back