PIARC INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR Road Safety Education & Awareness and Appropriate Road Infrastructure 10 May 2011

Presentation Contents 1.Introduction - Background 2.Road Safety Education and Awareness: – Safe Routes to School 3.Appropriate Infrastructure – Pedestrian Grade Separation: Case Studies 4ITS and Road Safety – Freeway Management Systems to enhance safety

National Road Network in South Africa

Road Safety Status in South/ern Africa SA 2010: Fatalities – Drivers: – Passengers: – Pedestrians: Pedestrians 34% Drivers 30% Passengers 36% SADC 2007: +/ Fatalities

Pedestrians don’t walk into each other and die……………

Road Safety Status in South Africa

Contributory Factors to Crashes (2010)

Road Safety Challenge Key Road Safety Challenges – Different types and needs of road users Vulnerable Road Users –Pedestrians Poorest of the poor - Captive Road Users Accommodating the needs of all our road users

Road Authority Approach to Road Safety Solutions that balances mobility and accessibility needs. Solutions not limited to the National Road reserve. Combining road safety infrastructure provision with appropriate road safety education and awareness programmes is essential. – Comprehensive School Road Safety Education programme

2.Road Safety Education and Awareness Programme Road Safety in Schools – Integrated with Road Safety Infrastructure Projects in Communities – In SA Road Safety not part of the School Curriculum – However, it can be a Theme to a Lesson, e.g. English, Mathematics – With the permission of the Department of Education, we train and resource Educators at selected schools

Safe Routes to School Project Safe Routes to School Project aimed at grades Dual Purpose: – Learners had to identify a major a Real Road Safety Problem along any of the roads followed to school. – Stimulate interest in the Engineering Profession: teach learners basic concept of research and finding solutions to challenges.

Safe Routes to School OBJECTIVES: – Encourage learners to be aware of road safety issues. – Take ownership of road safety within community. – Develop & Empower learners with practical research skills. – Develop and enhance presentation skills. – Promote teamwork and participatory learning.

Safe Routes to School Training Seven Participating Schools Learners attended a one day workshop. – Representative of 10 learners per school. – Identify a major road safety problem along any routes followed to school. – Road safety problem to be researched, analysed and a solution proposed.

Safe Routes to School Learner Programme Learners were given 2 months to develop their proposals. Their progressed was monitored and help provided. Learners were to present their proposals by – Power Point Presentation – Posters – Plans – Models, etc.

Safe Routes to School Adjudication Adjudicators – Professional Consulting Engineers – Municipal: Engineer and Traffic – SANRAL Engineers – Road Safety Education Specialists Adjudication Criteria – Research and Methodology (20%) – Quality of the Proposed Solution (30%) – Presentation / Technique (20%) – Model Evaluation (30%)

Safe Routes to School: Results Learners were: – Innovative in their presentation of the research material. – Took ownership – Well prepared – Projects were well researched – Very proud of their achievements – Real Practical and Implementable solutions

Safe Routes to School: Winners 4 Top Schools have had their Road Safety Infrastructure remedial measures refined by Professionals and implemented.

3.Appropriate Infrastructure Focus on Pedestrian Grade separation infrastructure – Importance of Channelisation where topography is not always ideal – Measures effected outside of the road reserve determines the success inside the road reserve – Focus on three case studies

Pedestrian Bridge Case Study #1 Approximately pedestrians need to travel across the R300 Freeway Daily About 30% (3 600) of them risk their lives by crossing the Freeway the at-grade (level)

Channelisation Pedestrian Bridge Case Study #1

Conservative Accident Statistics for show: – 67 fatalities from – 81 serious injuries On the 15 km stretch of Freeway

Channelisation Pedestrin Bridge Case Study #1 Location: Major existing pedestrian desire line More than 1500 illegal and unsafe Pedestrian crossings at this location daily

Channelisation Pedestrian Bridge Case Study #1 Construction

Channelisation Pedestrian Bridge Case Study #1 Importance of appropriate Fencing Use of steel and concrete composite fencing to prevent vandalism

Channelisation Pedesrian Bridge Case Study #1 Taking bridge approach ramps into communities Speed humps to calm “new” traffic in residential streets

Although topography was not ideal, this bridge enjoys a 99% pedestrian usage rate

Channelisation N2 Plettenberg Bay Case Study #2 Pedestrian crossing activity and congregation

Channelisation N2 Plettenberg Bay Case Study #2 The result

Channelisation N2 Plettenberg Bay Case Study #2 Solution: Pedestrian Bridge and Drop off and collection Zone

Channelisation N2 Plettenberg Bay Case Study #2

Completed product

Channelisation N2 Plettenberg Bay Case Study # %

Channelisation N2 Plettenberg Bay Case Study # %

–Expanded in Gauteng +/- 220 km –KZN +/- 100 km –Western Cape +/- 150 km 4.ITS and Road Safety

Real –time traffic data CCTV Surveillance Information Dissemination Information is processed FMS Operations Centre How does Freeway Management System work ?

Primary Benefits of FMS Accident happens --- Traffic flow disrupted Accident reported Emergency Services dispatched Arrive on scene Leave scene Traffic flow back to normal Reduce length of Incident Timeline Life Death Minimise Road User Costs Incident Timeline

Cape Town FMS 154 km

197 CCTV Cameras

48 Variable Message Signs

Cape Town FMS Operations Commenced in March 2010 – Source and Train FMS Operators – Multi Skilled ( Not just Spotters !!) – New skills source in Western Cape Incident Detection

Cape Town FMS Operations IMS – Average Response Times for Emergency Vehicles

Cape Town FMS Operations IMS – Average Clearance Times

Incidents (accidents, stationary vehicles) > 4400 on the Freeways Major Events, e.g. Major CT Stadium events, Road Clsoures Freeway Construction & Maintenance, Road / Lane Closures Cape Town FMS Operations …continued

Real Time Information Dissemination

Data Collection: Accidents

Data Collection: Stationary vehicles

Addressing Hazardous Locations: Resource Allocation

Summary Infrastructure is only as safety as the manner in which it is being used. Road Safety Education and Awareness should compliment all new road safety infrastructure Road Safety Infrastructure must attempt to address the source of the road safety problem, not just the symptom. The source of pedestrian road safety problems are often a genuine transportation needs. – Attempts to address pedestrian needs holistically will yield better results Technology can play a useful role in facilitating incident response. Accurate data can pinpoint hazardous locations and there causes.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !