Almost weekly there are reports of school children or workers being injured or killed in roll-over crashes involving LDV’s, trucks or trailers. As far as the dangers are concerned, the record speaks for itself. The rural context is perhaps even more significant as people will use any form of transport to get to work, shops, schools or hospital - regardless of the personal risk they expose themselves to. And yet something has to be done to make it safer for passengers being transported this way. The additional cost to industry if the EU model of a total ban on passengers on open goods vehicles is brought into South Africa would mean that many SMME businesses would simply not be able to afford the change if it meant buying new vehicles to accommodate legislative change. Similarly, conversions to vehicles used on mining property such as seats with seatbelts on the back of LDV’s because of company policy are also perhaps not as safe as implied.
In the urban context, transport options are much wider and yet the mindset of industry remains entrenched with the view that “its always been done that way so why change?”.Ī typical example of “alternative vehicle use” is the taxi industry which regularly adapts goods vehicles (mostly panel vans) into passenger carrying vehicles by simply adding seats - without considering the safety standards such a conversion demands. What does one do when your choices are limited? Many of our industry standards are on a par or even better than the international community and yet we are also on the other end of the spectrum, especially when it comes to safety in our communities. A bicycle is better than walking and a car represents serious wealth - not for the intrinsic value, but rather for the mobility and access to services it represents.Īnd yet, this is where the dilemma begins - South Africa is a developing country with so many aspects already entrenched in the developed world. Mobility in any shape or form is extremely valuable and prosperity is inescapably linked to it. Workers in countries such as the UK and Italy for example must be transported in closed vehicles - hence the development of larger panel vans which can accommodate the needs of industry.Īfrica on the other hand is a completely different kettle of fish. Most countries in the developed world have banned the practice outright. One may well ask how do we compare with other countries? Not very well I’m afraid. Legislative changes have, at best, been a poor compromise to date. Workers in general are still transported on the back of open vehicles with little or no protection from the elements, let alone a vehicle crash. Despite a change in legislation which sought to separate goods (including tools, equipment, etc.) from passengers in the goods compartment to prevent injury while being transported, very little has changed. However this is not the case with passengers on goods vehicles. Pedestrians account for about 40% of all fatalities and in certain metropolitan areas and cities, facilities are being set aside for safe walking and cycling where conflict with traffic has been minimized. The vulnerable road user, and here we include pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and certain classes of passengers, is most at risk of injury or death when venturing onto our roads.
Probably one of the highest probability rates in the world too!!
NECROBALL COMMUNITY FORUMS DRIVER
When one considers that during 2008, 14 500 people died on our roads (according to the Department of Transport) in approximately 900 000 crashes at a cost to the economy of R52 billion - the risk of being involved in a crash as a driver is at a ratio of 1:10. Unfortunately, this includes one of the highest road fatality and injury rates in the world - something definitely not to be proud of. South Africans are really a proud nation and there is so much that we have achieved over the years which puts us at the fore-front of either world firsts or best practice.
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