Placing the spotlight on safety
As South Africa marks Transport Month this October, road safety remains a paramount concern, particularly as the latest annual crash statistics reveal the ongoing dangers on our roads.
Statistics from the Road Traffic Management System show that for the period January 2023 – December 2023 the vehicle population increased by 1.30% from 12 964 430 in 2022 to 13 133 035 in 2023. Even though the report notes a 2,5% decrease in fatal crashes (from 10 446 in 2022 to 10 180 in 2023) and a decrease in fatalities of 4,4%, road safety still remains a pressing concern with Gauteng recording the highest contribution to fatal crashes (23%), followed by KwaZulu Natal (19%), Western Cape (12%) and Limpopo and Eastern Cape (11% each). At least 76% of fatal crashes were from these five provinces in 2023.
In this landscape, the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) as the leading voice in the automotive aftermarket sector with more than 170,000 employees employed through its eight associations, plays a pivotal role in promoting safer driving conditions. Through its advocacy for regular vehicle maintenance, periodic testing, and ensuring that industry standards are upheld, the RMI is committed to reducing road accidents and saving lives.
Ipeleng Mabusela, CEO strategy and corporate support for the RMI, says the organisation fully supports the implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy. The NRSS 2016-2030 set a target of reducing fatalities in the country by 50% by 2030 from 13,967 fatalities that were recorded in 2010.
“Looking at the current stats we can see that while some progress is taking place, we still have a long way to go and with proper vehicle care and inspections, many avoidable incidents can be prevented.”
Mabusela notes one of the RMI’s main concerns is the absence of a regular regime of testing for 79% of the vehicle population. Private vehicles in South Africa are only tested for roadworthiness upon change of ownership. Vehicles used for reward are tested more regularly, i.e. taxis and trucks annually and buses, every 6 months. The consequence of this is that of the current vehicle population of approximately 13 million in South Africa, the biggest category being motor cars and station wagons which make up the majority of the vehicle population, do not have to undergo any regular regime of testing. This means that only approximately 21% of our total current vehicle population is required to or has been tested.
“Legislative change focusing on the periodic testing of vehicles remains a viable and important proposition. Of significance, the latest “Global Status Report on Road Safety” for 2023, published by the World Health Organization (WHO), has now even added periodic technical inspection of vehicles (PTI) to its list of main factors for reducing risks of road traffic-related injuries or fatalities. This is the first time the report has listed PTIs in this context and marks a major milestone for road safety throughout the world.
While the RMI is aware of and welcomes the previously planned initiatives for the enhancement of road safety from the Department of Transport, we firmly believe that the best way to achieve optimal road safety and decrease road fatalities would be to also focus on vehicle safety as part of a holistic approach to road safety. “We appreciate testing cannot be looked at as a standalone. One needs to look at the whole environment holistically. Any specific testing protocols need to be implemented in conjunction with law enforcement removing unroadworthy and unsafe vehicles from our roads, implementing a range of various measures to reduce alcohol consumption while driving and enhancing better education and enforcement of pedestrian road user rules.”
We believe that the implementation of Periodic Vehicle Testing and Inspection (PTI) will yield great benefits to the country in terms of reducing road deaths, creating jobs and stimulating the retail sector with the maintenance of vehicles in a safe and roadworthy condition. “With the regulation already published, just not yet enacted by the Transport Ministry, the RMI is still strongly believes the time is right to implement these key changes,” says Mabusela.
There are several examples in the world where the implementation of vehicle inspection controls has not only made a positive impact on road safety and reduced road fatalities but also positively changed the culture of road safety by impacting driver consciousness and conscientiousness.
“We welcome the opportunity to engage further with Minister Creecy to address this critical safety concern and to lend our support to other safety initiatives which the Ministry is busy with,” concludes Mabusela.