Report on activities during the 2003/4 festive season

Abstract

Paper presented at the 23rd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 12 - 15 July 2004 "Getting recognition for the importance of transport", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa. The presentation concentrates on details of and results achieved by Phase 8 of the Arrive Alive campaign, which took place during the Festive Season 2003/2004. The campaign encouraged the provinces and local authorities to participate in enforcement activities, concentrating on highly visible activities on a single theme supported by communication carried out nationally. The campaign sought to include all aspects of road safety: advertising and public relations, heavy visible enforcement, and a coordinated effort in terms of strategic focus. The public relations campaign reached the vast majority of South Africans in both advertisements and media campaigns. A “lights on” campaign and a National Call Centre drove the message of the co-responsibility of all road users to regulate their own behaviour, and to report violations to a central number from which warning letters would be dispatched. The campaign was successful in reducing fatalities on South African roads over the previous season, in spite of an increase of 6% in traffic volumes.