Politics can’t fix road carnage

Driver attitudes will and cannot be changed by mere requests to do so by politicians. Drivers’ attitudes are mostly inextricably linked to a deep-seated disrespect of the law and traffic laws in particular. This, in turn, is linked to visible traffic law enforcement, in addition to revenue-producing speed checks.

In this regard, the World Health Organisation and domestic research rates SA at 30%. Any attempt to change driver attitude without sanction (effective traffic law enforcement) is largely ineffectual, as is shown by the current state of road safety on the roads and the aftermath of carnage since the October 2019 political speeches: 38% (48% in Gauteng) of road casualties are pedestrians.

For this reason, the AA’s call that road safety should initially concentrate on pedestrians is spot on. In addition, 50% of deaths have alcohol as a contributing agent. Policing drunk driving and drunkeness is another point which should be a definite priority.

Driver attitudes and behaviour is far more complex than it appears and cannot be changed by a mere say-so by politicians.

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