
South Africa’s roads and the drivers on them are already well-regulated, but that’s not to say the laws that are in place are as effective as they could be.
The question of enforcement aside, there are several road rules from around the globe that have the potential to work very well in South Africa in terms of reducing fatalities and increasing safety.
Graduate licences
The Automobile Association (AA) believes that graduate driver’s licences (GDL) could assist in reducing road deaths among South Africa’s youth – who are responsible for a noticeable portion of car accidents.
This comes after civil organisations in the United Kingdom called on authorities to institute GDLs for drivers under the age of 21 for the same reason.
Under a GDL scheme, new motorists under 21 cannot use certain roads or carry passengers of similar age for six months after passing their driving licence tests.
“I think there’s certainly a lot of benefits to having graduated driving licences,” a spokesperson for the AA told the Cape Talk radio station.
“When you look at the numbers of deaths on our roads, specifically between the ages of 15 and 24, you’re looking at around 1,720.”
Australia implemented similar rules on 1 December 2024 – called P-plater laws.
Aussie publication Drive writes that in Western Australia, P-platers are now only allowed more than one passenger in their vehicle if the additional occupant(s) have held a full car licence for at least four years, the other passengers are immediate family members, or if they are driving the car for work-related purposes.
Cognition tests for over-75s
In Japan, drivers over the age of 75 must pass a cognitive function test to renew their licences, as per Best Car Web.
Japanese authorities are cognisant of the fact that a person’s mental capacity deteriorates with age, and while they may have been an excellent driver in their younger days, this may no longer be the case.
As such, the test aims to prevent elder drivers who “have dementia” or are “suspected of having dementia” from getting behind the wheel of a car.
It involves takers memorising 16 illustrations in about four minutes, and then answering the question, “What was depicted on those 16 illustrations?”
The test paper itself only has vague illustrations, and the examiner will provide hints such as “cannon” and “organ”, making it relatively tough to pass.
Supercar licences
South Australia recently introduced special driver’s licences for ultra-high-powered vehicles (UHPV) like Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
Known as a U-class licence, it requires buyers of these vehicles to take a special course that ensures they are aware of the risks associated with driving a UHPV and the use of common vehicle features within Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.
This follows a spate of fatal accidents in the Oceanic nation that involved sports cars and supercars, Drive reports.
A UHPV is defined by Australian authorities as having a power-to-weight ratio of at least 276kW per tonne, with a gross vehicle mass of less than 4.5 tonnes.
Longer driver’s licence validity periods
At present, South Africa is one of the few countries where driver’s licences are only valid for five years.
Instating longer driver’s licence validity periods will afford government time to rectify major issues plaguing the existing renewal process, whilst immediately eliminating current and future backlogs.
Furthermore, it will bring significant savings for South Africans as well as government in expenditure, efficacy, and reduced time wasted.
Many of the countries with the safest roads in the world have driver’s licence validity periods of six to 15 years, suggesting that it would have no adverse effect on road safety in South Africa.
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