Road Safety In Perspective
By: DR K SHANGULATRAVELLING is part of our daily life. We travel from home to work every day. We travel to visit our friends and relatives. We travel from office to office on official business. In short, we move from one place to another for various reasons. The most widely used mode of transport is a vehicle.
Any change of location constitutes speed. From physics we know that speed is the change of distance. When we walk, we generate speed. When the car moves, it generates speed. Speed is an integral part of human activities. It is unavoidable.
I am particularly focusing on speed in view of the popular saying that “speed kills”. This is misleading. Speed does not kill. I know that the intention is to warn drivers that if they drive at excessive speed, they are likely to get involved in an accident which may be fatal. But speed per se does not kill.
According to the study which was published in the media some time ago the majority of accidents, contrary to popular belief, are caused not by fast-moving cars, but by slow-moving cars. In addressing the causes of motor vehicle accidents, one has not only to focus on fast-moving cars, but imperatively, on the slow-moving cars as well.
The idea to control the movement of vehicles is noble and necessary. However, the control measures which are currently in place are defective and inappropriate. First all the vehicles, sedans, trucks, buses and tractors are subject to the same maximum speed of 120 kilometres per hour on the highway. Secondly, despite the fact that slow-moving vehicles are responsible for the majority of motor vehicle accidents, there is no minimum speed on the highway. Thirdly, there is no differentiation in the speed limit of different types of vehicles.
The speed limit of 120 kilometres per hours was set many years ago. It was appropriate and in line with the technology at that time. The speed of 120 km/h is most probably equivalent to 160 km/h according to the current technology. The maintenance of the 120 km/h speed limit on a highway makes drivers unnecessary traffic offenders. A law which the majority of citizens do not observe is not necessarily a good law.
Causes of motor vehicle accidents can be human or mechanical. Animals have also a great share of blame in causing road accidents. Human causes include fatigue, incompetence, driving under the influence of intoxicating substances and non-observance of traffic rules and signs. Mechanical causes include overloading and unroadworthiness of the vehicles.
There is no national training programme for drivers. Driving lessons are given by private individuals. Prospective drivers are only taught how to drive. They are not taught how to behave on the national roads. Most of the drivers are inconsiderate, discourteous, impatient and have no respect for pedestrians. This is especially true with most taxi drivers. They are a menace on the roads.
I would like to propose the following improvement to the traffic control measures:
• Introduce a national programme to be used by all private driving schools. This national programme should not only teach prospective drivers how to drive a vehicle, but also how to behave on the roads.
• Introduce maximum and minimum speed limits for vehicles.
• The maximum and minimum speed limit must be different for each type of vehicle. Sedans should have different speed limits from buses and trucks.
• Adjust the maximum speed limit for sedans to 160 or 150 km/h and set the minimum speed limit at 100 or 90 kilometres per hour.
• The traffic fines for speed violation be applicable to both over-speeding and under-speeding.
This article is intended to raise awareness about the factors that contribute to motor vehicle accidents. It is intended to contribute to the improvement of safety on our beautiful roads. The public is invited to debate these issues further. The line Ministry is called upon to give due consideration to these proposals.
* Dr K Shangula is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. He wrote this article in his personal capacity.