Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Every year, more than 1.24 million traffic related deaths are registered globally with the highest fatality rates in middle- and low income countries. Minibus taxis represent the most dominant mode of public transportation associated with road traffic crashes and injuries in most African countries. From a safety perspective, aggressive driving behaviour is one of the main causes of road traffic crashes. This study examined the nature and the frequency of the most common types of the minibus taxis drivers’ on-road aggressive behaviour as well as the corresponding response behaviour of drivers of other vehicles to those behaviours. The research was done through video observations in Cape Town, South Africa. Through questionnaires, this study also explored the effect of driver age and gender of minibus taxi drivers on the on-road aggressive behaviour. The effect of age and gender of drivers frustrated by minibus taxi drivers’ aggressive on-road behaviours on levels of anger aroused as well as on the response behaviours reported was investigated from within the framework of a frustration and aggression model of aggressive driving. In a total of 7,266 minibus taxis observed from three different sites, 943 aggressive driving behaviours noted were divided into three categories: traffic obstructions (stopping in the road or outside bus stops), disregarding traffic signs and signals (red light running and violating stop lines), and improper passing behaviours (cutting in too close, overtaking on road shoulder or on yellow lane, crossing solid lines to pass vehicles in the next lane, inappropriate lane utilisation). Observations were coded based on pre-determined evaluation indices. The more frequent response manoeuvres by drivers behind aggressive minibus taxis were swerving to the next lanes, accelerating to refuse gaps for minibus taxis, running behind minibus taxi red light runners, and hooting. The results from the questionnaire survey revealed that driver age and gender affected both the minibus taxi drivers’ on-road aggressive behaviours and the response behaviours reported by other drivers. Respondents reported that younger minibus taxi drivers exhibit more on-road aggressive behaviour than old minibus taxi drivers. Male and younger drivers frustrated by minibus taxis’ on-road aggressive behaviours reported riskier and more severe forms of reactions than frustrated female and older drivers. The responses of drivers of other vehicles to the minibus taxi drivers’ on-road aggressive behaviours have parallels with the responses of individuals to social bullying or victimisation, as researched and explained in social-psychological theory. More work is needed to explore this relationship but it is possible that the responses of drivers of other vehicles to the minibus taxi drivers’ aggressive behaviours could be explained by these theories. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Elke jaar word meer as 1.240.000 verkeer verwante sterftes met die hoogste sterftekoerse in die middel- en lae-inkomste lande geregistreer. Minibus-taxi's verteenwoordig die mees dominante vorm van openbare vervoer wat verband hou met verkeer ongelukke en beserings in die meeste van die Afrika- lande. Wat veiligheid betref, is aggressiewe bestuursgedrag een van die belangrikste oorsake van die verkeers-ongelukke. Hierdie studie ondersoek die aard en die frekwensie van die mees algemene vorme van minibus taxi-bestuurders se aggressiewe padgedrag sowel as die reaksies van bestuurders van ander voertuie op dié gedrag. Die navorsing is deur middel van video waarneming in Kaapstad uitgevoer. Hierdie studie het ook die effek van die minibus taxibestuurders se ouderdom en geslag op aggressiewe padgedrag met vraelyste ondersoek. Die uitwerking van aggressiewe bestuurgedrag op die vlakke van woede wat deur ander bestuurders ervaar word, sowel as op hul reaksies is vanuit die raamwerk van 'n frustrasie en aggressie model van aggressiewe bestuur ondersoek. In totaal van 7266 minibus-taxi's is waargeneem op drie verskillende plekke. Die 943 voorvalle van aggressiewe ry-gedrag is in drie kategorieë verdeel naamlik verkeer obstruksies, verontagsaming van verkeerstekens en -seine, en onbehoorlike gedrag. Gedrag is gekodeer deur van voorafbepaalde evaluering-sindekse gebruik te maat. Hierdie gedrag het ingesluit belemmer in a van verkeer, insny voor ander verkeer, kruising van soliede lyne, onvanpaste laangebruik, verbysteek op pad-skouers of op die geellyne, verontagsaming van rooi verkeersseine, en die oortreding van stoplyne. Die mees waargenome reaksies deur voertuie agter aggressiewe minibus-taxi's is wegswenk na die volgende lane, versnelling om gapings vir minibus-taxi's te weier, naloop agter taxi wat deur verkeerseine ry, en die gebruik van die toeter. Die resultate van die vraelysopnames het getoon dat die bestuurder se ouderdom en geslag beide die taxi- bestuurders se aggressiewe padgedrag en die reaksie-gedrag daarop bepaal. Resondente het aangedui dat jonger minibus-taxi-bestuurders meer aggressiewe padgedrag as ouer minibus taxi-bestuurders toon. Die response van die ander bestuurders op taxibestuurders se aggressiewe padgedrag het ooreenkomste met die reaksies van individue tot sosiale boeliegedrag of viktimisering , soos nagevors en verduidelik in sosiaal-sielkundige teorie. Verdere werk is nodig om hierdie verhouding te verken, aangesien dit moontlik is dat die reaksies van bestuurders van ander voertuie op minibustaxi- bestuurders se aggressiewe padgedrag deur hierdie teorieë verklaar kan word.

This is a case study of a rural school in the Moloto area. The objective of the enquiry is to explore the responses of children to road safety input that they receive at school. Children’s experiences as road users were gathered through intensive interviews with them, their parents and teachers and corroborated by my observation of children using the Moloto road and other arterial roads in the village. The study was informed by the interpretivist paradigm. Road safety education is part of the mainstream curriculum in South African schools but the environment for delivering it effectively is counterproductive in a school that lacks resource materials and trained teachers. The little that is taking place, as the study shows, is class-based, lacks context and focuses on teaching pedestrian skills with no practical input. The community’s unsafe road use behaviour of walking in the middle of the road and crossing the road everywhere undermines whatever road safety skills children might have learnt at home or at school. Key findings of the study are: children’s development of pedestrian skills; children’s constructions of road safety knowledge and their value of life and road signs; the negative influence of the unsafe “road environment”; and children’s attitude to road safety. Although children theoretically know what to do when using the road, in practice they do not show safe road use behaviour. Their construction of road safety knowledge is mainly informed by the practices of the broad community. This paradox between what the literature prescribes, what the national curriculum entails and what the children apply in their everyday use of the roads is the main finding of the study. Although children are enthusiastic about road safety education the same cannot be said about the teachers who are demoralised and not sure whether what they are doing is right or wrong. However, the children understand the value of life and the danger of using the road infrastructure recklessly even though their road use behaviour suggests otherwise. The low level of formal education among parents and the lack of support for teachers from road safety officers do not help the situation. Effective road safety education delivery depends on a number of variables or factors. Where these conditions are not available, the whole process becomes a futile exercise. In conclusion, road safety education can be summarised as a process with sequenced goals: The provision of information about injury risks and how to avoid them, changing attitudes towards risk and safety, and altering behaviour. Training should include the development of clearly defined pedestrian skills through guidance by a more skilled individual and practice in the road environment. Education can thus underpin both legislative and environmental measures by creating a climate of opinion that enhances a culture of safety which is not evident in the Moloto community. It will take political will and resource allocation for road safety education for any meaningful impact to be made in delivering road safety education and pedestrian skills effectively in a rural school like the Moloto primary school in Mpumalanga. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Early Childhood Education / unrestricted