Institutionalising coordinating structures to promote road traffic safety

Abstract

Road traffic safety is no longer the issue of only one discipline but rather requires a multi-faceted approach targeting law enforcement; education and communication; data and intelligence; engineering and legislation. The Western Cape Government took cognizance of this, and guided by its Provincial Strategic Objectives, established the Provincial Road Traffic Management Coordinating Committee (PRTMCC) in order to achieve its primary road traffic safety objective of reducing road crash fatalities by 50% by 2014. The PRTMCC serves as the case study in order to illustrate the benefits of institutionalising structures whilst highlighting the inefficiencies that arise as a result of bureaucratic issues that ensue, particularly in the public sector. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, through a public perception survey, as well as an analysis of an international best practice model, serves to support this claim. This paper explores and interrogates how institutionalising these structures within the public; private and civil society sphere could promote road traffic safety.