At the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) and South African Academy of Engineering (SAAE) road safety engagement hosted by GIBB, one message was clear: safer roads require shared responsibility across engineering, policy, behaviour, infrastructure and public awareness.
As GIBB Group CEO Vishaal Lutchman noted during the discussion: “We all have a role to play”.
This sentiment captured the heart of the engagement, which brought together industry leaders, researchers, engineers and media to unpack the complex relationship between road infrastructure, human behaviour, policy and public safety.
South Africa has the longest road network in Africa and the tenth longest road network in the world, at approximately 750 000km. With 90% of fatal crashes in 2023 linked to human error, as highlighted by Ms Busisiwe Morale, Transport Researcher and Candidate Engineer from CSIR Smart Mobility, the discussion reinforced the need to look beyond road users alone and consider the full transport system.
“We face a stark and devastating reality,” said Mr Felix Reinders, President-Elect of the South African Academy of Engineering. “Engineering solutions, no matter how sophisticated, cannot protect these lives in isolation.”
Speakers emphasised that human error is often shaped by a wider set of factors, including road signage, infrastructure condition, pedestrian movement, livestock, education, awareness and enforcement.
For GIBB, this speaks directly to the importance of integrated, people-centred transport planning. In the Transportation Sector, GIBB has contributed to major transportation projects across the continent, including the Takoradi – Agona Junction Road Feasibility Study for the Government of Ghana and the Danish International Development Agency.
Thank you to ASSAf, SAAE, all speakers, participants and media representatives for contributing to this important conversation on safer roads and more resilient transport systems.
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