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2010

The Road Safety Foundation will continue to work with corporates, their employees and, as a key strategy for 2010, focus on key responsibilities of individual road users.

Each individual that puts up their hand to behave in a responsible manner on the roads, takes us one step closer to safe roads.

Let's work together to make our roads safe!

Too many children die on our roads

“The World Report on Child Injury Prevention, published by the World Health Organization and Unicef, has highlighted the enormous challenge of curbing child road deaths”, said Petro Kruger, Director of The Road Safety Foundation.

The new report, which was launched in Vietnam on 10 December 2008, collates the most inclusive collection of available data on childhood injury. With 260 000 children (up to the age of 18) killed on the world’s roads every year, and another estimated 10 million injured, road crashes are the leading cause of child injury.

The greatest need for immediate and drastic action exists in low- and middle-income countries. These countries, which include South Africa, are responsible for more than 93% of child road deaths and injuries in the world. Data shows that globally, the road traffic death rate among children is 10.7 per 100 000 population. In the African Region, however, the rate is 19.9 per 100 000 population.

Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death in children aged 10–19 years, and are also the leading cause of disability among children generally. The report predicts significant increases in road traffic casualties over the next 15 years, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries.

Increased levels of motorization and urbanization in low- and middle-income countries are placing children at greater risk on the road. Young children may unknowingly take risks on the road because they lack appropriate skills to act safely. Older children and adolescents may actively indulge in risk taking behaviours that are exacerbated by peer pressure.

“The publication of this report by the WHO and UNICEF have strengthened our resolve to continue our work with UNICEF and other partners in South Africa, and to do as much as we can to prevent child road deaths in our country. “ said Petro Kruger “There are a number of interventions that can be taken to improve the safety of children on the road. But if parents just take the responsibility to put their infant in a child restraint, their small children in booster seat and insist that everyone in the vehicle use their seatbelt, we would safe thousands of lives on the roads every year.”

ENDS

Are you a jerk? You decide

As we go into the final quarter of 2008 - a year that will go down in the history books as a year of unique, tumultuous political, economic and social changes - we begin preparations for our annual year-end break. For the average person out there, increases in food prices, interest rates and fuel have undoubtedly affected our disposable income. So, are we going on holiday? Most probably will, but there will certainly be many who simply won’t have the financial means to go away this year. However, there is one aspect that is unlikely to change, regardless of the economic situation, those year-end office parties and festive celebrations where we all seem to just let loose, relax and often end up drinking way too much, and then driving home.

We’ve all heard it before – the various messages from road safety organisations – “Don’t drink and drive”, etc. But how many of us really take it seriously? Our government and most traffic authorities certainly don’t take it seriously enough. I doubt that more than 5% of all traffic officers have breathalyzers as standard equipment in their vehicles, and would be surprised if many more have been trained in the use thereof. When was the last time any of us came across an ‘alco’-roadblock. My last memory (with the exception of KwaZulu-Natal) goes back more than 15 years!

So, if it is unlikely that we are going to get caught and we all believe that we can still drive a vehicle quite competently even if we have had too much to drink, why on earth should we be so concerned about driving under the influence?

According to the latest available statistics available, 75% of pedestrians and 55% of drivers killed on our roads are under the influence of alcohol. If we take our average annual road fatalities and combine the vehicle and pedestrian statistics, it would equate to between 8 000 and 9 000 people killed on our roads annually as a direct result of alcohol!!! That should make us all wake up. That excludes those who are left behind injured or permanently disabled.

Recent research indicates some frightening trends – after 6pm in Gauteng it is estimated that 1 in 15 road users are over the legal limit. You work out how many vehicles you interact with on your way home, and do the math! And not all of them are men. There is a marked increase in the number of women driving under the influence of alcohol. The recent TMS report – approximately 2 000 people interviewed – showed around 30% of those interviewed acknowledged driving while intoxicated.

Unfortunately, there is a drinking culture in South Africa – it is largely socially acceptable to drink and drive. Friends come round, we share a few drinks and have a meal, and then we drive home, often with our loved ones in the car. The example set by celebrities and so-called role models certainly doesn’t improve the situation. It’s not possible to explain or share the emotional trauma of losing a loved one due to a drunk driver causing an accident. Being involved in the emergency services, I see it all too often and there is in all reality only one description for it – gross stupidity.

So how do we tackle this critical issue, because surely we cannot allow it to continue? Expecting the various law enforcement agencies to move from hiding behind bushes while speed timing and adequately focus on the drinking and driving problem would be a fantasy. There are some of us on the road who just don’t give a damn, whether it relates to drinking and driving, crossing solid barrier lines, or simply driving like jerks! However, there are those of us, and I would like to believe that we are in the majority, that with just a little effort and awareness could reasonably easily observe the laws relating to drinking and driving – after all it is the responsible thing to do!

I guess what I’m saying is, please think about it, make alternative arrangements when you know you may be in a position where you’ve had too much to drink, don’t allow a friend or colleague to drive home after that year-end function when you know that they are over the limit, think about your own loved ones and the impact on them if you don’t come home. Let’s each put up our hands and commit to responsible behaviour.

Remember – YOU MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!

Sharing the road

As the number of heavy vehicles on South Africa’s roads, and in particular along the N3 Toll Route, continue to escalate, the need for South African motorists to share our roads responsibly is more important now than ever before.

“This is especially true in light of the fact that the number of accidents continue to increase and lives are lost on our roads every day,” says Road Safety Foundation Director, Petro Kruger.

Trucks are extremely important to the South African economy. As consumers we need them on our roads as they are responsible for transporting products that are critical to life - and those that make life a lot more comfortable. However, as a motorist, sharing the road with large trucks can cause a feeling of discomfort.

What is crucial, however, is for all road users to create a ‘motoring comfort zone’ that will help to reduce the occurrence of accidents and minimise the potential risk for incidents to take place.

This is often easier said than done, so N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) and the Road Safety Foundation have put together some tips and suggestions for motorists to consider not only when travelling on the N3 Toll Route but on all South African roads.

“It is important to realise that trucks do not operate like cars. Some of them are so large that accelerating, slowing down and stopping take more time and more space than any other vehicle on the road. They have large blind spots and make wide turns. If they come upon an unexpected traffic situation, there may not be enough room for them to avoid a collision,” commented Con Roux, commercial manager of N3TC.

The Road Safety Foundation believes that motorists can protect themselves and their passengers by learning to share the road safely and responsibly with large vehicles.

Five Ways to share the road safely and responsibly with trucks

1. Don't cut in front of trucks

Trucks leave extra room behind the vehicles they follow because it can take them twice as long to stop.

If you move into that space and have to brake suddenly, you decrease the truck's available stopping distance placing you and your passengers in danger. Anticipate the flow of traffic and avoid pulling in front of trucks at the last moment.

Minimum Required Stopping Distance - meters
Speed km/h	Small Car	Medium Car	Large Car	Heavy Vehicle
60	60	66	77	116
70	78	86	101	154
80	99	109	129	197
90	121	135	159	246
100	146	163	193	300
110	174	193	230	359
120	203	227	271	424
130	235	263	314	495
140	269	301	361	570

*Table from www.arrivealive.co.za

Trucks are not equipped with the same energy absorsing bumpers as cars. When a car is hit from behind by a truck the results are too often deadly.

2. Stay out of the blind spots

Truck drivers have huge blind spots around the front, back and sides of the truck.

Because of a truck's size, truck drivers must react faster than car drivers in emergency situations. If faced with a potential front-end collision, the truck driver may turn into your lane not knowing you are there.

3. Avoid tailgating

Some large trucks are almost as wide as the lane in which you may be driving. If you are driving too close behind one you are prevented from reacting effectively to changing traffic conditions.

If you are too close to the rear of a truck and traffic slows down on the highway, or debris in the road you won't notice it until there is a braking emergency. If there is a problem ahead, your first hint will be the truck's brake lights. But if you happen to be distracted or tired, you may not be able to react in time. If you hit the rear of a truck you'll soon learn that trucks are unforgiving. There are no impact-absorbing bumpers, and the metal bumpers they have may not align with yours. So be smart and give yourself plenty of room.

4. Wear your seat belt

Buckling up your seat belt is the single most important thing you can do to save your life in a crash.

A seat belt will keep you in your seat and help you to maintain control of your vehicle. The safest place for children is in the backseat, buckled up or preferably in a car or booster seat. Be safe and always buckle up!

5. Beware of emergency lanes

A large number of people were killed or injured in emergency lane collisions last year.

If you break down or pull over into the emergency lane, it is important to understand that you are in a very unsafe position both for yourself and your passengers. It is preferable to pull over as far as possible off the road. When a parked vehicle in an emergency lane is struck by a moving car, the damage suffered by both vehicles is severe. When the moving vehicle is a truck, weighing as much as 25 cars, the result more often than not is fatal.

Avoid emergency lanes whenever possible. Try to exit from the highway, even if it costs you a tyre or rim. If you cannot exit, consider whether you are safer inside or away from the vehicle. Your decision could save your life.

The Road Safety Foundation believes that professional truck drivers can play their part in reducing accidents or incidents. Many professional drivers have millions of kilometers of driving experience, which in one sense may be a positive factor in other areas it is negative as many drivers (including light motor vehicle drivers) have developed bad habits and these are hard to break.

It is safe to say that many commercial motor vehicle crashes occur due to errors in judgment by car drivers operating around large trucks. Unfortunately, when these crashes occur they reflect poorly on the road freight industry, regardless of who caused the collision, says the Road Safety Foundation.

Anger and road rage often results in accidents. It is of vital importance that professional drivers to be cognizant of their speed, blind spots and other factors that could cause anger amongst other road users. For example, a truck overtaking another truck on a rise when faster vehicles are approaching. This leads to a level of annoyance that brings about irrational and unsafe behaviour by those drivers who do not take kindly to being slowed down.

Professional truck drivers should consider these safety practices when they are on the road.

1. Take care of yourself

Drivers should make sure that they get plenty of rest before tackling a long journey. They should also look after their health, eat well and stay fit.

Driver fatigue and lack of attention can significantly increase the risk of a crash. Drivers must stay healthy, sober and well rested, or they should not drive!

2. Always maintain your vehicle

Inspect the vehicle before each trip, and check the brakes and lights regularly during the journey.

Brake defects are the most frequently cited out-of-service inspection violation. Learn how to inspect brakes, identify safety defects, and get them repaired before risking your life, and others.

3. Be aware of your blind spots

Other drivers may not be aware of the size of your blind spots.

One-third of all crashes between large trucks and cars take place in the blind spot areas around a truck. Adjust your mirrors and be vigilant in watching out for other vehicles in the blind spots.

4. Construction zones

Be on the alert for construction activity, particularly on National Routes. In the interests of safety both for other motorists and construction workers, it is critical to comply with the indicated speed restrictions as indicated in construction zones. It is equally important not to attempt to pass slower moving vehicles just ahead of a closure as this is typically where accidents occur.

Many fatal construction-zone crashes involve large trucks. Most of these crashes occur during the day. Take your time going through work zones, reduce your speed, and expect the unexpected.

5. Always keep your distance
Always leave enough space between your truck and the vehicle in front of you.

In rear-end collisions, if you hit someone from behind, you are considered "at fault”. Large trucks, given their mass, have much greater stopping distances. Take advantage of your height, and anticipate hard braking situations.

6. Fasten your seatbelt

If you are in a crash, a seat belt will save your life. It will keep you in your seat and assist you to maintain control of your truck. Buckling up and using seat belts is still the single most effective thing we can do to save lives and reduce injuries on our roads.

7. Always drive defensively

Avoid aggressive drivers and maintain a safe speed. Plan your journey in advance, identify accident hot spots and adapt your driving style to suit the weather conditions, traffic patterns and terrain.

Two-thirds of all traffic fatalities may be caused by aggressive driving behaviour. Keep your distance and maintain a safe speed. The only thing excessive speed increases is your chance for a crash.

According to the Road Safety Foundation, driver behaviour, courtesy and consideration remain the single most important factors in sharing the roads responsibly and saving lives. It is up to each one of us, as road users, to make sure that we are doing everything possible to minimise the risk of accidents.

Ends

More accolades for Volvo Cars’ City Safety

City Safety, Volvo Cars' in-house developed technology for avoiding low-speed collisions, has received the American "Traffic Safety Achievement Award" at this year's World Traffic Safety Symposium in New York.

And in a research report after recent tests at the Thatcham Centre in the United Kingdom, Volvo Cars’ City Safety system was referred to as “perhaps the most significant new technology available in the near future” when it comes to collision avoidance.

"City Safety is yet another example of Volvo's aim to utilise real world traffic situations to develop solutions to prevent accidents. It is extremely gratifying that we are now being acknowledged with this prestigious award," says Jonas Ekmark, head of preventive safety at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre at Gothenburg, Sweden.

At this year's World Traffic Safety Symposium held at the New York International Auto show, a panel of experts consisting of traffic safety specialists from institutions such as the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rewarded various developments that reduce the number of injuries and fatalities on American roads.

Volvo's safety feature, City Safety, made a huge impression on the jury members owing to its ability to prevent or lessen the severity of collisions at low speeds, thus reducing the risk of personal injuries and damage to vehicles.

Volvo will be the world's first to install City Safety as standard equipment in a vehicle. Launched later this year, the XC60 is Volvo's first car to have this system.

Approximately 75% of all collisions are at speeds less than 30 km/h. In 50% of cases the driver does not even brake before the collision and the reason is usually insufficient concentration.

If the vehicle in front brakes suddenly and City Safety assesses that a collision is imminent, the brakes are prepared for action.

If the driver does not take action, the car is braked automatically. At speeds less than 15 km/h City Safety can entirely avoid accidents, at speeds between 17 - 30 km/h the system applies brake force to reduce vehicle speed and help reduce occupant injuries and vehicle damage.

"With City Safety, we hope to eliminate whiplash injuries, to both vehicles involved in typical city driving low speed accidents along with eliminating vehicle body damages," says Ekmark. "Even with just reducing vehicle speed, this system will help to reduce the consequences of low speed impacts. The potential for reducing the risk of both personal injuries and car bodywork damage makes City Safety highly interesting from an insurance perspective.”

“Volvo Cars is currently involved in negotiations with several insurance companies in Europe who are considering an insurance premium discount of up to 30% for cars equipped with City Safety,” says Ekmark.

Independent Thatcham tests proves City Safety efficiency

At the United Kingdom’s Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre, or Thatcham, as it is widely known, the Volvo City Safety system was subjected to a collision avoidance efficiency test – which led to the headline The car we couldn’t crash on their research newsletter.

The main aim of Thatcham, an independent, non-profit organisation, is to carry out research targeted at containing or reducing the cost of motor insurance claims, whilst maintaining safety and quality standards.

“Perhaps the most significant new technology available in the near future is the low speed avoidance system from Volvo – City Safety. This unique system is designed to chiefly address the most common crash type, the low speed ‘fender bender’,” says Thatcham in its report. Their conclusion is: “The potential for the reduction of whiplash injuries and damage to repair costs is considerable.”

UN says road crashes kill as many as Aids

The United Nations held its first debate on road safety amid warnings that the problem is a 'public health crisis' on the scale of Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.

The meeting followed research by the World Heath Organisation which forecast that between 2000 and 2015 road accidents would cause 20 million deaths, 200 million serious injuries and leave more than one billion people killed, injured, bereaved or left to care for a victim.

The UN debate was arranged after lobbying by the Commission for Global Road Safety, a powerful road safety campaign group set up by influential figures, including the former Nato secretary-general Lord Robertson, representatives of the World Health Organisation and the World Bank, and the former Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher.

Robertson, who will address delegates in New York, will also warn the UN that its own policies, including the Millennium Development Goals, are adding to the crisis by investing in roads but not insisting on safety measures. Film star Michelle Yeoh, who made her name in action movies and as a Bond girl, will show delegates a film on the problem in Vietnam, in her role as an ambassador for the commission's Make Roads Safe campaign.

The group wants the UN to agree to big increases in funding for the problem - and Robertson says they have powerful support from Britain, the US and Russia. 'Every one of those statistics is a single human being,' Robertson told The Observer. 'You're talking about the number one killer of young people worldwide; the level of death is on a scale with malaria and TB, which get huge attention and enormous funds. It's a neglected worldwide health crisis of huge proportions.'

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says every year 1.2 million people die in road accidents - making it, according to WHO's 2002 calculations, the seventh biggest killer in the world, ahead of diabetes and malaria. The WHO predicted that by 2020 road deaths would become the number three killer, behind heart disease and suicide, although Aids is now a much bigger threat than when that forecast was made.

Yet international funding for Aids, malaria and TB was $4.7bn over the last seven years, compared with about $100m for road safety, the commission said.

Robertson said road safety was still seen as a 'Cinderella subject'. He wants UN delegates to agree that 10 per cent of funding for road building in developing countries be ringfenced to improve road safety measures.
The biggest killer

· Road crashes are already the number one killer of young people aged 10-24

· By 2020 the World Health Organisation estimates that road deaths will rise by 60 per cent

· Worldwide, from 2000-2015, one billion people are forecast to be affected by road deaths, injury or bereavement

· The cost to developing countries is put at $100bn a year, their total aid budget

· Wearing a seatbelt would save half of all car occupants who die in crashes

· In Britain 3,172 people died in road accidents in 2006

Sources: Commission for Global Road Safety; Department for Transport

--

Article source: The Guardian, 23 March, 2008 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/23/unitednations.transport)

Nicole Fox and Romano Daniels with Van Reenen Primary

THINK KIDZ CAMPAIGN RAISES ROAD SAFETY AWARENESS

Every ten minutes a child is injured or killed in a crash on South African roads. To increase road safety awareness amongst our children, the Road Safety Foundation joined forces with Bridgestone South Africa, N3 Toll Concessionaires and UNICEF to launch the “Think Kidz” programme on Van Reenen’s Pass at the start of the Easter weekend.

UNICEF celebrity advocate, Nicole Fox, addressed the children at the Van Reenen Primary School, giving them tips on how to be responsible road users. Each of the children received a reflective “Think Kidz”-belt and t-shirt as well as a road safety activity book and colouring pencils. Many of the children walk long distances to school, often in adverse weather conditions and the reflective belt will improve their visibility to other road users.

Said Petro Kruger, Director of The Road Safety Foundation: “Our children are not educated on safe use or made adequately aware of the dangers they face on the roads every day. Together with our partners we aim to create road safety awareness amongst our children and their parents and caregivers to reduce the number of child injuries and fatalities.”

The event was continued in a marquees tent set up at the Caltex garage at the top of Van Reenen’s Pass. Here children traveling to and from holiday destinations were asked to pledge their commitment to road safety by adding their signatures to a road safety banner wall. Nicole also had the opportunity to address a group of Grade 5 learners from Bryanston Primary who were returning from tour. All the visiting children also received a “Think Kidz” reflective belt and T-shirt as well as the road safety activity book.

The “Think Kidz” partners urge all parents and caregivers to ensure that children use seatbelts or child seats whenever they are traveling in a vehicle and are taught to be responsible and safe road users.

-End-

Contact- Petro Kruger – 012 369 6208 / 083 386 6963

PHILIP HULL RECEIVES CAR MAGAZINE SAFETY AWARD

Philip Hull, Director of The Road Safety Foundation, last night was presented "The Safety Award" by CAR magazine.

Philip was recognised for his ongoing dedication to the furtherance of accident prevention in South Africa.

For 25 years, Philip has been involved in the Van Reenens Community Medical Services project, an initiative with the emphasis on accident prevention as well as providing free medical service to those requiring assistance. In 2001, he initiated the Light for Life project - which provides free replacement of defective light bulbs - and last year formed The Road Safety Foundation, with business partner, Petro Kruger.

Other projects include distributing of reflective belts to schoolchildren, developing a local affordable, adjustable child seat, car and truck driver education, and tyre care research.

Philip's efforts have helped to save many lives, and continue to create active road safety awareness nationwide.

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