Abstract:
Vulnerable road user fatalities continue to make up the bulk of road traffic related deaths in
South Africa. Safe System-based measures aim to improve the safety of the road
environment for all road users including vulnerable road users. Safe System-based
measures are primary mitigation measures that focus on reducing the severity of accidents
while supporting techniques and measures that focus on reducing the number of
accidents. Road Restraint Systems (RRS) form a vital part of the road planning and design
process in support of minimising the severity of accidents, including accidents involving
vulnerable road users.
The uptake of best practices relating to the provision of safe and forgiving roads that can
mitigate the severity of injuries in South Africa, has been poor. This research paper
considers the plight of vulnerable road users in the South African road environment and
provides practical evidence/examples of existing scenarios where roadside risk for
vulnerable road users such as non-motorised transport users can be addressed through
the provision of correct and crash tested RRS that contribute to making the road
environment inherently safe and more forgiving.
