22/02/2023
Pedestrian Safety in South Africa
Pedestrian fatalities remain a major concern for road safety and health authorities, especially in middle and lower-income countries.
The Arrive Alive Website receives information daily about fatal crashes across South Africa.
Road crash fatality data reveals that approximately 35-40% of road deaths in SA are pedestrian deaths.
On the Arrive Alive website, we find several references to pedestrian safety.
We would like to consider these in more detail to better understand the reasons for the many pedestrian fatalities and consider measures necessary to make our roads safer.
Contributing factors to Pedestrian Fatalities in South Africa
What are the major contributing factors to pedestrian fatalities in South Africa?
Drunk pedestrians - Pedestrians who are intoxicated and impaired with alcohol or/ and drugs.
Reckless/ lawless pedestrians - Those pedestrians taking chances by running across the roads and freeways underestimating the speed of vehicles. (Pedestrians are in fact not allowed on freeways.)
Distracted pedestrians - Pedestrians failing to pay attention to traffic whilst distracted by cellular phones, music, etc.
Pedestrians ignoring/disobeying traffic light signals - crossing the road against an orange or red light.
The “Poorly visible” pedestrians: Those walking on the shoulder of the road not wearing high visibility or reflective clothing.
Pedestrians walking on the road instead of on the verge or pavement, often on the left side of the road where they are close to and therefore cannot see approaching traffic.
Pedestrian inattentiveness - Where we find pedestrians such as children chase after something, e.g. a ball or hat which might be on the surface of the road.
Lack of supervision / Younger pedestrians left unattended - This includes our younger vulnerable child pedestrians not supervised & left on their own at the roadside.
Crime forcing pedestrians onto the road surface - Those pedestrians robbed or attacked and trying to get away from the attackers, ending up as a victim of a road crash.
Victims of reckless driving - those instances where drivers lose control and pedestrians, through no fault of their own, are crashes into on the pavement etc.
