Each year nearly 10 000 people die on South African roads. Accidents involving pedestrians are 56% in South Africa, compared to only 19% in Australia. The White Paper on National Transport Policy1 outlines the vision for transportation in South Africa: “Provide safe, reliable, effective, efficient, and fully integrated transport operations and infrastructure which will best meet the needs of freight and passenger customers at improving levels of service and cost, in a fashion which supports government strategies for economic and social development whilst being environmentally and economically sustainable”.
As the management of accident risk is a long-term strategy, it requires corporate support. In view of this, road authorities in South Africa accepted a corporate goal of providing and maintaining a safe and affordable transportation network. To achieve this goal, a formal Business Plan, ‘The Road Traffic Management Strategy (RTMS)’, was developed to ensure an acceptable level of quality in road traffic, with emphasis on road safety on the urban and rural road network.
One of the measures identified in the RTMS was the need to develop the “tools” to assist road authorities with the evaluation of traffic operations and assessment of road safety aspects of their road network. These “tools” take the format of the South African Road Safety Manual prepared through the guidance of the RTSETC, thus involving all levels of government in the process. Consultation with all involved road authorities forms an important part of the project as the use of a uniform system of road safety procedures will ultimately contribute to the reduction of road safety fatalities in South Africa.
The South African Road Safety Manual consists of the following volumes:
Volume 1: Principles and Policies
Volume 2: Road Safety Engineering Assessment on Rural Roads
Volume 3: Road Safety Engineering Assessment on Urban Roads
Volume 4: Road Safety Audits
Volume 5: Remedial Measures and Evaluation
Volume 6: Roadside Hazard Management
Volume 7: Design for Safety
Please click on the different volumes to download the content