Thesis (M.Sc. (Statistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Background: Death and economic losses due to road traffic accidents (RTA) are huge global public health and developmental problems and need urgent attention. Each year nearly 1.24 million people die and millions suffer various forms of disability as a result of road accidents. This puts road traffic injuries (RTIs) as the eighth leading cause of death globally and RTIs are set to become the fifth leading cause of death worldwide by the year 2030 unless urgent actions are taken. Aim: In this paper, we investigate factors that contribute to road traffic deaths (RTDs) in the Limpopo province of South Africa using models such as the generalized linear models (GLM) and zero inflated models. Methods: The study was based on retrospective data that comprised of reports of 18,029 road traffic accidents and 4,944 road traffic deaths over the years 2009 – 2015. Generalized linear modelling and zero-inflated models were used to identify factors and determine their relationships to RTDs. Results: The data was split into two categories: deaths that occurred during holidays and those that occurred during non-holiday periods. It was found that the following variables, namely, Monday, human actions, vehicle conditions and vehicle makes, were significant predictors of RTDs during holidays. On the other hand, during non-holiday periods, weekend, Tuesday, Wednesday, national road, provincial road, sedan, LDV, combi and bus were found to be significant predictors of road traffic deaths. Conclusion: GLM techniques, such as the standard Poisson regression model and the negative binomial (NB) model, did little to explain the zero excess, therefore, zero-inflated models, such as zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB), were found to be useful in explaining excess zeros. Recommendation: The study recommends that the government should make more human power available during the festive seasons, such as the December holidays, and over weekends.

Thesis (M.Med. (Forensic Pathology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Introduction and background: Road traffic fatalities remain a worldwide burden with more than half of those fatalities comprising of vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists). This prompted the World Health Organization and United Nations to establish Sustainable Developmental Goals aimed at reducing road traffic crashes. The study explored factors relating to pedestrian fatalities on the R71 road, which may inform future interventions to enhance pedestrian safety. Aim: The study aimed at profiling pedestrian road traffic crash fatalities on the R71 road admitted at Polokwane Forensic Pathology Services. Methodology: A quantitative descriptive study utilising total population purposive sampling of pedestrians that demised because of R71 road traffic crashes over a 3-year period was done. There were 65 cases studied. Results: The study revealed that the fatalities were more male adult pedestrians than females, who were between 20 -39 years old. Majority of those pedestrians were wearing dark coloured clothing with no reflectors on. The pedestrian fatalities were mostly seen over the weekend and between evening and midnight. The fatalities peaked in December and February (summer season). The common locality of the pedestrian fatalities was Mankweng and Mentz village (Area 3). Most of those pedestrians sustained head injuries. Conclusion: Contributory factors and injuries of those pedestrian fatalities that demised because of R71 road traffic crashes were identified, which some were similar to those already highlighted in literature.

Thesis (MPAM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / This study investigated the effectiveness of the national road safety strategy towards reducing accidents and road fatalities on the N1 in the Limpopo Province. Qualitative research was conducted to determine the experiences of the traffic law enforcement officers in implementing the road safety strategy in the Limpopo Province. Primary qualitative data were collected using the semi-structured questionnaire supplemented by telephonic interviews. Two groups of participants including the traffic law enforcement officers (n=10) and managers (n=5) participated in the study. The study established the domains of effective implementation and areas of challenges with discrepancy between the expected level of strategy implementation and availability of sufficient human and fiscal resources to enhance effective strategy implementation. The factors that impeded the effective implementation of the road safety strategy towards reducing accidents and road fatalities on the N1 in the Limpopo Province included the inadequate allocation and distribution of traffic officers in areas with a high probability of accidents, delayed recruitment of sufficient traffic law enforcement officers and unavailability of required budgeted funds for procurement of state of the art physical equipment to monitor the speed and magnitude of traffic flows and real-time surveillance and capture of road safety transgressions. The findings revealed that there is a considerable need for traffic law enforcement managers to collaborate with behavioural professionals and the police to ascertain effective behavioural change mechanisms to encourage road safety compliance. However, recruitment and constant re-training of traffic law enforcement officers on best practice strategies for traffic law enforcement could be useful to ensure the effective implementation of the road safety strategy; thereby contributing towards the reduction of accidents and road fatalities on the N1 in the Limpopo Province.