The KwaZulu-Natal Road Safety Project five years on : success or myth? An external evaluation

Abstract

Paper presented at the 22nd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 14 - 16 July 2003 "National issues affecting the movement of people and goods - strategic approaches", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. ABSTRACT: The results achieved by Victoria’s approach to road safety over the last ten years have been recognised and applauded locally, nationally and internationally. The integration of high levels of enforcement combined with high levels of public awareness via mass media campaigns has seen significant changes in road user behaviour. Supporting the enforcement and public awareness campaigns with targeted education and road safety engineering combined with effective and transparent evaluation of all aspects of the strategy made up Victoria’s road safety program . Safety First. But how relevant is the Safety First model in third world and developing nations? Since 1998, Victoria has been involved in introducing the principals of Safety First into the Province of KwaZulu-Natal in the Republic of South Africa. ASIPHEPHE (Zulu for “Let us be Safe”) is the KwaZulu-Natal Road Safety Project that is based on Safety First. During the same time frame, the National Department of Transport was introducing the National road safety program - Arrive Alive. Whilst Asiphephe was limited to KwaZulu-Natal, the interaction with Arrive Alive was dynamic and often tense. This paper examines the results of the introduction of Safety First, in the context of Arrive Alive, into a foreign environment with particular reference to the sustainability of the program in that environment. This evaluation has shown limited success in the transfer of skills, knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of the Victorian Road Safety Strategy leading to the conclusion that the Victoria Solution, as such, cannot be transposed onto foreign environments without significant review and adaptation based on local expectations and conditions.