The Automobile Association (AA) and ChildSafe South Africa have officially launched the Walking Safely to School (WATCH) project which aims to improve road infrastructure and promote safety around schools in South Africa.
The initiative comprises modifications to physical and passive traffic measures such as road safety traffic signs, traffic markings, speed humps, raised pedestrian crossings, and sidewalks around school zones.
Theses upgrades will initially be introduced to 10 schools in Mamelodi, Tshwane between April 2024 and March 2026, after which they will rolled out to other education institutions across the country.
During this time, ChildSafe will be conducting a star-rating assessment of the schools and providing road safety education to scholars, teachers, and parents.
As part of the WATCH project, ChildSafe and the AA will also lobby authorities to reduce speed limits at school zones throughout South Africa from the current 40km/h to 30km/h with immediate effect.
South Africa’s most vulnerable road users
According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, children constitute 10.2% of road fatalities in South Africa and 7% in Gauteng.
The Stats SA 2023 General Household Survey notes that about two-thirds of the 15.4 million school-going children in the country must walk to school daily, putting their lives in danger.
At one of the schools earmarked for infrastructure upgrades, Dr. IM Monare Primary School in Mamelodi West, it was found that learners and pedestrians have difficulty crossing the busy intersection near the school because vehicles do not give them right of way.
Learners also had trouble crossing the streets close to the school because of a lack of dedicated infrastructure and physical traffic calming measures.
These complaints were echoed at many of the other targeted schools.
ChildSafe emphasises that various factors contribute to increased risk for children, such as inadequate road infrastructure, a lack of supervision, and the necessity for many of them to walk as their primary means of transport.
It is thus imperative interventions are implemented to make walking safer, ultimately reducing the vulnerability of pedestrians, especially children.
“Children are at a disadvantage on the road because of their height, which limits their ability to see or be seen. A child’s cognitive skills are also limited, which affects their perception of speed and distance,” said the AA.
“Creating safer roads by reducing the current speed limit around school zones and improving road infrastructure will lead to a reduction in the number of fatalities due to road traffic collisions and injuries.”
Measures such as 30km/h speed restriction around schools, environmental modifications that influence driver behaviour, and pedestrian education are key pillars of increasing road safety and decreasing fatalities.
Research shows that a pedestrian who is struck by a motor vehicle travelling between 50km/h and 70km/h has a more than 80% chance of being killed. Survivors are often subject to serious injuries that result in physical and mental disability, often due to traumatic head injuries.
“Through educational programs, campaigns, and targeted outreach efforts, we can foster a lasting positive impact on the safety culture on our roads, especially around schools, focused on protecting our most vulnerable road users – children,” concluded ChildSafe.
“The initiative will ensure that communities, parents, and schools will have enough capacity to alleviate road fatalities and injuries in children.”
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