District safety plans : towards a model for safer road-based transport systems in rural and urban settings in the Western Cape
Date
2022-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The development of road safety paradigms around the world which identify traffic injuries as
emerging from the traffic system as a whole have proved extremely successful in reducing
traffic injury burdens dramatically since their peaks in the 1970s and early 1980s. These
benefits have not however been universally shared across the globe, and at this time road
safety outcomes in higher income countries are in stark contrast to those continuing to be
suffered in middle- and lower-income countries. South Africa in general, and the Western
Cape in particular has features of both middle- and lower-income countries. Road traffic
injuries, including fatalities, have remained stubbornly high, despite global, national and
regional initiatives. The introduction by the Western Cape Government of an evidence based, vertically and horizontally integrated “District Safety Plan” concept as part of its
adoption of Vision Zero provides an opportunity to examine the applicability and efficacy of
planning systems that attempt to address the traffic system as a whole in a manner
customized to a specific locality. The piloting of this concept in the rural Caledon Traffic
District by the Western Cape Government, and subsequent testing within the densely
urbanized township of Khayelitsha by the City of Cape Town created an opportunity to
further contrast such a mechanism when implemented in differing environments. In addition,
the data generated by the implementation of these District Safety Plans created an
opportunity to attempt to devise a theoretical predictive model for the design of integrated
planning systems aimed at improving safety within the traffic system in a given area. The
core study was limited to a six-month post implementation period and was limited to the
impact of enforcement and education activities due to this timeframe. Study of the
implementation and impact of the plans showed potential for improving road safety
outcomes within the traffic systems in both rural and urban areas. However, impact in the
rural environment was shown to be higher, notably due to the impact of predictable external
shocks in the urban environment, especially civil unrest. The most promising results were
shown to be potentially significant impacts on pedestrian fatalities in Caledon: after six
months, these were observed to have fallen 63% year on year, and 63.6% when compared
to the five-year average. The development of a rudimentary predictive model that scores combinations of law enforcement and education activities showed promise for the future
ability of planners to develop minimum thresholds for significant positive impacts by
identifying numbers of operations and numbers and types of media activities necessary.
Future studies conducted over longer terms could incorporate engineering interventions as
well as study the potential impacts of social media.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar
Description
Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Traffic safety -- Western Cape (South Africa), Roads -- Design and construction -- Western Cape (South Africa), Traffic accidents -- Western Cape (South Africa), Traffic regulations -- Western Cape (South Africa), Rural roads -- Western Cape (South Africa), Traffic engineering -- Western Cape (South Africa), UCTD