Road Safety Cartoons

Over the past few years many cartoons have highlighted the problems facing road safety in South Africa. These cartoons tell a story of the hazards on South African roads and can be used effectively to provide further education on road safety statistics as well as advice / tips on how to combat these dangers.

Fred Mouton from “Die Burger Newspaper” has kindly provided some of these drawings - and the development team of www.arrivealive.co.za will be adding some more of these to the web site for the benefit of the younger generation and educators.

Also view the Cartoons on Taxi’s and Road Safety kindly provided by Mama Taxi [ Deni Brown and Gavin Thompson]

The statistical data used in this section has appeared in the different sections of content elsewhere on the arrive alive web site and especially in the “Crash Book” compiled by the Department of Transport after the compilation of all the accident statistics at the end of 2004.

These cartoons include

• Road safety in South Africa
• Speeding
• Roadworthiness
• Cycling safety
• Overloading
• Drowsiness
• Pedestrian safety
• Hijacking
• Motorcycling safety
• Taxi safety
• Truck safety
• Rules of the Road
• Road Conditions
• Road Rage

Road Safety Fact

• Every day an average of 36 lives are lost on our roads
• 100 people are seriously injured on our roads every day

Road Safety Hint

• We should all try to assist in enhancing awareness of road safety
• Report bad driving and let us all obey the Rules of the road

Road Safety Fact

• Driving at excessive speeds or speed too fast for the circumstances encourages further transgression of the law, such as illegal or unsafe overtaking and ignoring red traffic signals
• driving at an excessive, un-appropriate speed at night and encountering a slow moving vehicle with faulty lights; or a stray animal or a drunk pedestrian, greatly reduces the response time and decision making distance for the driver of the fast vehicle.

Road Safety Hint

• Plan your journey and allow yourself enough time to reach your destination
• Adjust your speed to the road and weather conditions and keep safe following distances

Road Safety Fact

• The average age of motorcars are 10 years, minibuses 13 years, busses 11 and trucks 12 years
• Non –wearing of seatbelts increase the risk of death or serious injury by between 40% to 50% in case of an accident

Road Safety Hint

• Check the condition of your car before you start your drive
• Have your tires, brakes and windscreen wipers checked regularly

Road Safety Fact

• 270 Cyclists died on the roads during 2004
• Regulation 207(2) of the National Road Traffic Regulations stipulates that every cyclist or passenger on a bicycle must wear protective helmets

Road Safety Hint

• Always wear protective helmets
• Try to ride along with other riders – but in a line and not alongside one another

Road Safety Fact

• Overloading negatively impacts on stopping distances
• Overloading also causes damage to roads and pose a danger to other motorists

Road Safety Hint

• Do not place your safety in danger by overloading your vehicle
• Do not cut in front of heavy that might be overloaded

Road Safety Fact

• Approximately 15 pedestrians are killed on our roads every day
• In 2004 Pedestrian related crashes cost in the order of R4,3bn

Road Safety Hint

• Do not walk on the road and when you have to walk next to road walk towards the oncoming flow of traffic
• Make sure that you are seen and be observant all of the time

Road Safety Fact

• Most hijackings take place in the driveways of residential areas
• Hijackers prefer areas with accessible escape routes

Road Safety Hint

• Be extra alert close to your home – switch of the car radio and concentrate on your surroundings
• Check your driveway and street [ ensure that they are well lit] before you enter or leave your premises

Road Safety Fact

• There were 188,320 licensed motorcycles in South Africa at the end of 2004
• Approximately 204 motorcycles were involved in fatal accidents in 2004

Road Safety Hint

• Always wear a helmet and never hang out in a truck’s blind spot or “No-Zone’
• Drive to survive – be extra cautious to the brake lights and signals of other vehicles

Road Safety Fact

• There were 245, 753 licensed minibuses at the end of 2004
• 516 passengers of minibuses died on the roads in 2004

Road Safety Hint

• Do not climb into a minibus that appears to be in a bad condition
• An overloaded minibus is very unsafe – Avoid being a passenger in such a minibus

Road Safety Fact

• 1332 trucks were involved in fatal accidents in 2004
• 70% of all truck –related car fatalities are initiated by car drivers
• 35% of them occur in the blind spot around trucks

Road Safety Hint

• Avoid the blind spots around a truck
• Be very cautious when passing a truck in bad weather
• Do not cut in front of trucks – they need more time and space to stop than cars

Road Safety Fact

• More than 90% of crashes are due to lawlessness
• Lawlessness include failure to obey traffic control, overloading, speeding, drunk driving etc.

Road Safety Hint

• Concentrate on your own safety by obeying the law –regardless of what others might do
• Register as a voluntary traffic observer and report bad driving
• Set a good example for your friends and family while driving

Road Safety Fact

• Road and environment factors such as no, poor or inadequate and damaged signs, poor maintenance, lack of fencing resulting in animals on the road contribute 5-10% of accidents
• Poor road marking is a contributory factor to head-on collisions

Road Safety Hint

• Use the speed limit as a guideline to the maximum speed
• Adjust your speed lower in bad weather conditions and where the conditions of the roads might be slippery and your vision might be impaired

Road Safety Fact

• In 2005 an international study found that South Africa has the highest prevalence of road rage
• Overcrowding of roads, high influx of daily commuters, inadequate road infra structure, increase in taxi/bus transport , increase in heavy duty vehicle volumes and personality factors could all contribute towards road rage

Road Safety Hint

• Keep your hands on the wheel and avoid making any gestures that might anger another driver
• Give angry drivers lots of room. If another driver tries to pick a fight, put as much distance between you as possible.