60km/h speed limit conundrum in South Africa

South Africa’s urban speed limit is higher than that of many developed and developing nations.

Comparing the speed cap of 60km/h in built-up areas to that of 33 other countries shows that South Africa is one of the few with such a high restriction, suggesting it could be contributing to the carnage that plays out on the country’s roads every day.

It is primarily for this reason that the Department of Transport (DoT) and Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) intend to reduce speed limits by 10km/h across the board.

In 2022, the RTMC revealed in a parliamentary presentation that a programme was underway to slash urban speed limits in South Africa from 60km/h to 50km/h, and highway limits from 120km/h to 110km/h.

These new maximums were reportedly based on recommendations by the United Nations and took into account international best practices.

The main motivator of the planned changes was to decrease the staggering number of road deaths the country experiences in a year.

Over 12,000 people lose their lives in vehicle accidents annually in South Africa, placing the country among the worst in the world when it comes to road fatalities.

While the intentions behind the DoT and RTMC’s plans to cut speed caps are admirable, industry experts believe the change is likely to have an almost negligible impact.

Eugene Herbert, the CEO of MasterDrive, contends that a reduction as minuscule as 10km/h won’t affect the severity of car accidents for one simple reason – speedsters won’t care.

“Drivers causing serious high-speed crashes in South Africa are often not people driving the maximum speed limit but those blatantly disregarding it,” said Herbert.

Lower limits could have some benefits as they will likely have a positive impact on drivers that pose a lesser threat, which will lead to fewer injuries and fatalities, and sometimes even create the ability to avoid a crash altogether.

It does not, however, address challenges presented by the most dangerous transgressors, which are the main culprits in most of the deadly road incidents.

These individuals do not care about what the sign on the side of the road says as they believe they won’t face any repercussions if they don’t follow its instructions.

“Currently, fear of consequences is not what it should be because of the belief that one can bribe their way out of penalties,” said Herbert.

“If the bribe is not accepted, there can be serious consequences like licence suspension, but often the penalties are focused on monetary penalties.”

It is therefore the attitude and reckless behaviour of South African drivers that must be changed, not the meticulous legislation already in place.

The only way for this to be achieved is through consistent enforcement of current speed limits followed by the execution of serious penalties and consequences, said Herbert.

South Africa vs The World

When it comes to urban speed limits, an analysis by MyBroadband discovered that the most common restriction is 50km/h in developed and developing nations around the world.

Out of the 34 countries surveyed, 18 had a limit of 50km/h while two more – the United Kingdom and United States – limit their drivers to 48km/h in towns and built-up areas.

Meanwhile, 10 economies including South Africa are capped at 60km/h, most of which were also located on the African continent.

The one country with a higher default speed restriction was India, which allows vehicles to reach a speed of 70km/h on urban roads.

While this may be the case, India’s streets are still ranked safer than those in South Africa.

A study by Australia’s Compare The Market showed that India experiences an average of 23.4 road deaths per 100,000 male and 7.0 road deaths per 100,000 female citizens a year.

By comparison, South Africa sees roughly 34.9 road deaths per 100,000 male and 9.9 road deaths per 100,000 female citizens a year.

Fatal accidents per gender and country. Source: Compare the Market Australia

On highways, freeways, and expressways around the globe, 120km/h was found to be the most common limit.

Only six out of the 34 countries on review saw a 110km/h restriction, while another six had a 130km/h cap.

Singapore had the lowest highway speed limit at just 90km/h, whereas Germany’s was the highest as it applies no speed limit on its famous Autobahn – though a 130km/h reading is still “recommended” by the government.

Despite the limitless freeway in the European nation, it’s still among the top five safest countries to drive in anywhere in the world.

The below table compares the most common urban and highway speed limits in 34 countries: