In this edition of Brian’s Column, we are given an insight into how the city of Johannesburg in South Africa has implemented strong road safety measures to dramatically reduce road fatalities. His insight illustrates how when coupled with good enforcement and road infrastructure, road laws can save lives as they do in South Africa.
‘Hello there, my name is Johannesburg. Contrary to what people think about me thanks to the fact that I am South of the African continent, I am, without needing to give a lot of explanations, living in a class of my own because My Safety Is Your Safety!’ That is exactly how I feel I should address myself every time I am in this town.
For those that don’t know Bridgestone, The Road Safety Foundation, the Automobile Association (AA) and some 100 children from the Van Reenen Primary school were all present to encourage road users to ‘Think Kidz’ at every step of the way on their journey to a safe and fun holiday to the South Africa’s coasts. Considering that, a child is killed or injured every ten minutes on South Africa roads, a dangerous statistic by UNICEF and even more disheartening is that we are talking about human life, not just statistics!
They (the leaders of Johannesburg) have not only focussed on the youths! Interestingly, they have designed and implemented a community focussed safety programme which I caught up by chance on Television. In this programme, they are not only patrolling streets outside Johannesburg but also doing a 1 on 1 education and warnings to road users as regards road safety! Isn’t that cute? The coordinator for community safety programme Faith Mazibuko chatted to a motorist (so I overheard) “Don’t worry, we are not from [the television programme] Cheaters, but we are here to tell you something that will not just save your life but the life of Africa”
Road checks taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa
If you weren’t catching the local Johannesburg TV channel, this was all part of the Road Safety Easter Campaign, which kicked off at the interchange on Thursday, 14 April. Several cars were stopped and searched in a joint operation by the Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP), the Johannesburg metropolitan police department (JMPD) and the South African Police Service (SAPS). It was interesting (as usual) to see troubled, eye brow raised drivers with pending tickets pay their fines at a mobile station that had been set up at the interchange and in presence of TV cameras.
Talking about political will in road safety, it was soooooo motivating to see the member of the Lesedi Local Municipality mayoral committee for safety and security, Ald Koos Jonck; and the member of the Emfuleni Municipality mayoral committee for public safety, Nomvula Thulo, interacting with motorists, encouraging them to drive safely. Now, this is not a time for elections yet, because in many African states, it’s common to only see your leaders appearing in your villages or towns only during election campaigns. Clearly, Johannesburg leaders aren’t playing the cat-showing-off tricks.
Cars being checked for road worthiness in Johannesburg as part of concerted effort on road safety.
I will not fail to note this simple but well proven safety tip! Cars are checked for road-worthiness while on Johannesburg streets without warning the driver. This follows the evaluation of the previous road safety campaign that led the province to achieve a 60% reduction in road crashes and fatalities. I would be surprised if Somalia, Egypt and Ethiopia started doing checks for camels before hitting the road! Wooooo!!
Through the GTP, SAPS and JMPD as well as Sedibeng, Metsweding and West Rand District traffic departments, the district road safety department implements a law enforcement plan to ensure smooth traffic flows and compliance with traffic laws and public safety in general. We have heard about these laws..haven’t we? But what makes Joburg (so its called) special is that you can expect NO MERCY when caught by these implementing road safety bodies! They are strict and professional starting from the minute you get into their Airport Cab, there is a driver who will tell you..’I don’t want to be imprisoned, please put your seat belt on’!
And then, there was (still is) this other activity which worries the local man in all African communities: deploying those police patrol cars! But these were (are) put to enhance visible policing with roadblocks and check points not only focusing on vehicle and driver fitness, but also on vehicle searches. Good morning thieves, criminals and drug dealers, you are busted in this campaign because these operations will not be confined to highways only. Provincial and municipal routes are also targeted.
The city’s leaders take part in passing on messages of road safety in Johannesburg to tackle road fatalities.
Here is a rather new approach that the Johannesburg leaders are implementing as regards pedestrian safety: Jay walking: The law enforcement agencies deal decisively with people found jay walking on major highways. Since instances of jay walking continue to climb and you can imagine the ability to root out the practice is crucial to achieving even bigger reductions in fatalities. Pedestrian fatalities continued to account for a significant proportion of statistics in the province of Johannesburg and Africa in general.
Johannesburg by night – a city that aims to be dramatically reduce road fatalities through safer road safety systems.
The City will invest more than R100-billion in infrastructure development and upgrading in the next 10 years according to the Executive Mayor Parks Tau who made this announcement in his maiden state of the city address, tabled in Braamfontein on Thursday, 22 March. Tau was giving an account of the progress made in the City in the past year and charting the way forward. Now, while the rest of us sit and look on with admiration about how Johannesburg has tried to reduce avoidable mortalities on the roads, putting all these systems in place, it remains our responsibility to be safe on the road. In fact, while I was having my driving lessons (which I started recently < don’t ask me what I mean by ‘recently’), my instructor told me to always assume that all the road users are drunk…and I am the only sober road safety superman…by that, we become more accountable to ourselves. Oh…and did i say, I Love Johannesburg? I will ask her to marry me and go and change all Africa’s cities hahaha #Staysafe