Exploring the impact of crime on road safety in South Africa : transportation engineering

In South Africa, road traffic fatalities and homicides account for more than 70% of non-natural deaths (MRC NIMMS 2005). Little is known, however, about the impact of crime on the actual road casualty figures. South Africa's homicide rate of 72.5 per 100 000 population is about five times the world average of 14.0 per 100 000 population, whilst the road traffic death rate of 43.0 per 100 000 population is twice the world average of 21.6 per 100 000 population (WHO 2002). The high road casualty rate is mirrored by a worrying safety and security situation, with reported violent crime rates amongst the highest in the world. Robbery with aggravating circumstances (such as car and truck hijacking, cash-in-transit robberies and business robberies) have, over the past three years, grown consistently year on- year. These crimes are typically carried out with military-like precision by large, well-armed and organised crime syndicates, who rely on the use of motorised transport and public road networks. The most affected areas include the economic heartland of Gauteng, as well as KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape. The crime risks and road safety are further exacerbated by ongoing civil protests, with accompanying blocking or damaging of public roads and road infrastructure.