Acceptance of Non Motorised Transport Users’ Safety Measures in Built-Up Areas: A Case Study on SANRAL Roads

Abstract

Several studies were conducted to improve road safety along national roads, but limited work has been done to examine the pedestrian acceptance of road safety interventions under field conditions. Previous work and studies have failed to establish the prevalence of the problem and address this phenomenon. This research is aimed at introducing a new thinking approach into examining and establishing acceptable design limits to ensure road safety for all road users in built-up areas along the National Roads while achieving pedestrian acceptance. The research was carried out on sections of roads along the national network, this was done on the N1 (Hammanskraal, Gauteng), N12 (Klerksdorp, North West), R510 (Sandfontein, North West) and R567 (Makgofe, Limpopo) and R581 (Mzinti, Mpumalanga). The results of the study revealed the high influence of pedestrian acceptance on the maintenance, use, and non-use of facilities. The study also revealed the high importance of community engagement in improving pedestrian acceptance, social cohesion, and road safety. These results demonstrate that pedestrian acceptance in built-up areas is key in achieving road safety.