Formalisation of road safety audit processes in South Africa

Abstract

The high number of Road Accidents and their associated consequences have a significant impact on the South African society, which continues to hamper socio-economic development and impact on the well-being of all South Africans. In line with the ‘Safe System’ approach, road safety audits, appraisals and network level assessments will be formalised to assist in the endeavours to provide a road environment designed to optimally limit harm and injury to road users. The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) is in the process of, in line with the National Road Safety Strategy, establishing an accreditation body for Road Safety Auditors (RSAs) and the review and updating of the South African Road Safety Audit Manual 2012. The National Road Traffic Engineering Technical Committee (identified the Engineering Council of South Africa as the vehicle to, on behalf of the RTMC, host and manage the registration of RSAs in South Africa as a subcategory of with the Engineering Council of South Africa. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) was signed between the RTMC and ECSA in 2017 to give effect to this resolution. The RTMC further identified the need to review and update/enhance the South African Road Safety Audit Manual 2012 (SARSAM). The updating of the SARSAM will include experience gained, to address possible deficiencies and/or to repackage the document to provide a pragmatic approach for road safety audits, appraisals and assessments in South Africa in line with international best practices. The updated/enhanced SARSAM will be published as Technical Methods for Highways (TMH) & Technical Recommendations for Highways (TRH) documents published by the RTMC under auspices of the Committee of Transport Officials (COTO). The presentation will discuss the key elements and progress relating to RSA registration as subcategory with ECSA, the Review of the SARSAM as well as the processes for the SARSAM to be updated and published as THM/TRH documents