An assessment of the readiness of South African roads authorities to reduce urban limits in line with international trends

Abstract

Paper presented at the 33rd Annual Southern African Transport Conference 7-10 July 2014 "Leading Transport into the Future", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.

International research indicates that decreasing speed limits in urban areas is a reliable means of reducing traffic injuries/deaths. This research project synthesizes the literature around urban speed limits, and questions why SA urban limits remain at 60km/h when international good practice suggest that lower levels offer improved protection for all road users. The project has two distinct components: the first is the development of a comprehensive discourse about the role of speed in crashes, and the proven effects of reducing speeds on injury levels. The second involves a qualitative evaluation of the positions and attitudes of road authorities in South Africa (engineers and policy makers) to determine levels of knowledge, attitudes and practical obstacles that may influence the adoption of lower speed limits. The research shows that there is only partial appreciation for the safety benefits achievable through reduced urban limits. Further, among those professionals who reflected an awareness of such benefits internationally there appears to be a degree of skepticism that reduced speed limits in South Arica would bring similar benefits. This suggests that the knowledge of how speed limit reductions can work – and indeed have worked - to reduce crashes, is possibly limited.