n Ontleding van voertuigongelukke op die N1-roete in Suid-Afrika

Date
2000-03
Authors
Swanevelder, Sonja Alet
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: “Road deaths are no accident'. This is the slogan of Phase III of the Arrive Alive campaign which was launched on Monday, 23 November 1998. Traffic as well as the safety thereof should be the concern of every single person. Everyone is in some or other way exposed to traffic on a daily basis. The problems that are experienced with the effective enforcing of traffic regulations are extremely complex, consisting of numerous facets. It is also a problem that is experienced worldwide. Quite a few attempts have been made and are still being made in order to decrease the yearly carnage on our roads, both locally and nationally. Our main transport routes (the N1 route) carry an extremely heavy / large vehicle load. It is a problem that gets more serious each year as the number of vehicles on our roads increase. Therefor one can make the prediction that vehicle collisions will also increase on a yearly basis. The aim of this research was to identify existing geographic risk factors and human factors on the N1 route. The N1 route was selected because it is notorious for its high collision rate, and also because it is the main road transport route between the Cape and Gauteng. The number of accidents on a given track were expressed as the number of accidents per 100 million kilometers travelled, compensating for the different traffic volumes on the different tracks as well as the different track lengths. According to this a track was labelled either as a high risk or a low risk track. The seriousness of the accident was also categorized into two groups, namely serious or non-serious, depending on the severity of the injuries that were sustained in the accident. In this study it has been found that bad road and weather conditions had no significant effect on the number of accidents or the seriousness of the accidents. Although the route is not rated as challenging, it is important to mention that there is a serious tediousness aspect that is experienced over the long distances. Quite a few accidents seem to be contributed to some or other human error. Although the numbers are not standardized, certain trends could be identified when looking at the time of day, day in a week or monthly periods in a year when Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za/ more accidents took place. Finally, it has been found that a GIS has exciting application possibilities in solving traffic problems by implementing effective traffic management systems. To achieve this, existing problems and shortcomings need to be identified and addressed. However, without the help, support and co-operation of the public and authorities it would not be possible.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: “Padsterftes is geen ongeluk nie’\ so lui die slagspreuk vir Fase III van die Kom Veilig Daar - veldtog wat op Maandag, 23 November 1998 in werking getree het. Verkeer en die veiligheid daarvan raak elke landsburger persoonlik, omdat elkeen op een of ander wyse daagliks direk daaraan blootgestel word. Die probleme wat met die effektiewe toepassing van verkeersveiligheid ondervind word, is ‘n wereldwye probleem wat uit talle fasette bestaan. Verskeie pogings word tans op beide lokale en nasionale vlak aangewend om die hoeveelheid verkeersongelukke op Suid- Afrika se paaie te verminder. Suid-Afrika se hoofroetes (o.a. die N1 roete) dra geweldige hoe verkeersvolumes. Dit is ongelukkig nie net ‘n tydelike probleem nie, maar !n aspek wat jaarliks toeneem vanwee die toename in motorvoertuie. Daar is dus potensieel ook meer motorvoertuigongelukke. Hierdie navorsing het gevolglik ten doel gehad om bestaande risiko-faktore op die N1 roete te identifiseer, hetsy geografies of menslik. Die N1 roete is as studiegebied geidentifiseer vanwee sy berugtheid t.o.v. motorvoertuigongelukke, en ook omdat dit die hoof padvervoerroete tussen die Kaap en Gauteng is. Verskillende verkeersvolumes en trajeklengtes is in ag geneem ten einde die aantal ongelukke vir elke trajek te bereken. Hiervolgens is die trajekte as ‘n hoe-risiko of lae-risiko trajek getipeer afhangende van die aantal ongelukke wat op die betrokke trajek plaasgevind het, uitgedruk as die aantal ongelukke per honderd miljoen kilometer gereis. Daar is bevind dat slegte pad- en weerstoestande geen effek op die aantal of ernstigheidsgraad van die ongelukke gehad het nie. Behalwe vir die eentonigheidsaspek wat oor die lang afstande ondervind is, is die roete self nie buitengewoon uitdagend nie. ‘n Groot aantal van die ongelukke blyk direk of indirek die bestuurder se skuld te wees, wat aan ‘n verskeidenheid menslike faktore toegeskryf kan word. Alhoewel die syfers nie gestandaardiseer is nie, kon daar tog sekere tendense geidentifiseer word wat daarop dui dat daar sekere tye per dag, week, of jaar is wanneer hoer voorkomste van motorongelukke ondervind is. Ten slotte is gevind dat daar geweldig baie gebruiksmoontlikhede vir ‘n GIS bestaan om verkeersprobleme met korrekte en effektiewe verkeersbestuur die hoof te bied. T en einde dit te realiseer moet tekortkominge in bestaande praktyke aangespreek word, en moet die onontbeerlike hulp, ondersteuning en samewerking van die publiek en owerhede verkry word.
Description
Thesis (MSc.)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
Keywords
Traffic accidents -- South Africa
Citation