This was an investigation into the impact of road traffic collisions in Mafikeng. The study revealed that community members in Mafikeng were aware of the fact that road traffic collisions had a number of impacts on the lives of the public in Mafikeng. These included loss of human life, damage to vehicles, medical costs, travel delays, insurance costs and effects on dependants. Various types of vehicles were involved in these collisions. The respondent community members had the view that the quality of the road in the Mafikeng Local Municipality was the main contributor to road traffic collisions. This was attributed to pot holes on the roads. They were all in favour of introducing Road safety Programmes in the municipality. The study recommends the following: • Accident Report forms should be printed with serial codes in order to create a database of all traffic collision accidents in the local municipality. Currently there are no accurate data. • The use of ICT techniques and facilities should be increased in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness of data capturing and preservation. • There must be uniformity in the soft ware used to capture and preserve data collected. • Road Safety awareness should be introduced in the school system at all levels to build a culture of road safety among the public. • The government programme of Arrive Alive Campaign should not be promoted only during festive season. It must be a campaign conducted throughout the year. / Thesis (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2010

Road traffic accidents continue to be a public health problem and are a global issue due to the huge financial burden they place on families and society as a whole. Speed has been identified as a major contributor to the severity of traffic accidents and there is the need for better speed management if road traffic accidents are to be reduced. Over the years various measures have been implemented to manage vehicle speeds. The use of speed cameras and vehicle activated signs in recent times has contributed to the reduction of vehicle speeds to various extents. Speed cameras use punitive measures whereas vehicle activated signs do not so their use depends on various factors. Engineers, planners and decision makers responsible for determining the best place to mount a speed camera or vehicle activated sign along a road have based their decision on experience, site characteristics and available guidelines (Department for Transport, 2007; Department for Transport, 2006; Department for Transport, 2003). These decisions can be subjective and indications are that a more formal and directed approach aimed at bringing these available guidelines together in a model will be beneficial in making the right decision as to where to place a speed camera or vehicle activated sign is to be made. The use of optimisation techniques have been applied in other areas of research but this has been clearly absent in the Transport Safety sector. This research aims to contribute to speed reduction by developing a model to help decision makers determine the optimum location for a speed control device. In order to achieve this, the first study involved the development of an Empirical Bayes Negative Binomial regression accident prediction model to predict the number of fatal and serious accidents combined and the number of slight accidents. The accident prediction model that was used explored the effect of certain geometric and traffic characteristics on the effect of the severity of road traffic accident numbers on selected A-roads within the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire regions of United Kingdom. On A-roads some model variables (n=10) were found to be statistically significant for slight accidents and (n=6) for fatal and serious accidents. The next study used the accident prediction model developed in two optimisation techniques to help predict the optimal location for speed cameras or vehicle activated signs. Pattern Search and Genetic Algorithms were the two main types of optimisation techniques utilised in this thesis. The results show that the two methods did produce similar results in some instances but different in others. Optimised results were compared to some existing sites with speed cameras some of the results obtained from the optimisation techniques used were within proximity of about 160m. A validation method was applied to the genetic algorithm and pattern search optimisation methods. The pattern search method was found to be more consistent than the genetic algorithm method. Genetic algorithm results produced slightly different results at validation in comparison with the initial results. T-test results show a significant difference in the function values for the validated genetic algorithm (M= 607649.34, SD= 1055520.75) and the validated pattern search function values (M= 2.06, SD= 1.17) under the condition t (79) = 5.15, p=0.000. There is a role that optimisation techniques can play in helping to determine the optimum location for a speed camera or vehicle activated sign based on a set of objectives and specified constraints. The research findings as a whole show that speed cameras and vehicle activated signs are an effective speed management tool. Their deployment however needs to be carefully considered by engineers, planners and decision makers so as to achieve the required level of effectiveness. The use of optimisation techniques which has been generally absent in the Transport Safety sector has been shown in this thesis to have the potential to contribute to improve speed management. There is however no doubt that this research will stimulate interest in this rather new but high potential area of Transport Safety.

Esta dissertação trata do uso de dispositivos de proteção lateral. Tão importante quando o projeto da rodovia é o projeto do seu entorno, que está diretamente relacionada à segurança dos veículos desgovernados que saem da pista, seja qual for o motivo. O entorno viário deve ser tal que as conseqüências da saída de pista sejam minimizadas, provendo um entorno livre de obstáculos (sejam árvores, postes, terrenos não atravessáveis, etc.) que possam causar danos severos aos seus motoristas, ou utilizando dispositivo de proteção lateral, na impossibilidade de eliminar os obstáculos agressivos, como estratégias complementares da redução dos danos decorrentes das saídas de pista. Na revisão bibliográfica realizada, os conceitos básicos relacionados com proteção lateral, critérios de seleção do tipo de dispositivos e de posicionamento, além da análise das recomendações para os tratamentos de segurança dos dispositivos de drenagem, foram analisados com o objetivo de identificar os estudos que deram origem aos critérios recomendados tradicionalmente (procurando destacar os pontos importantes que esclarecem a aplicação de tais critérios). Além das recomendações tradicionais, também foram analisados os modelos compreensivos, que tratam de forma mais explícita as saídas de pista e a presença dos dispositivos de proteção lateral, considerando o produto de probabilidades condicionais que envolvem as probabilidades de ocorrência de saídas de pista, a probabilidade da saída de pista estar na envoltória do obstáculo, a probabilidade da distância lateral de saída de pista ser suficiente para haver um impacto, a probabilidade de ocorrência de danos ao motorista e seus ocupantes e o custo associados a estes danos. O trabalho de campo desenvolvido analisou a prática do uso de dispositivos de proteção lateral em uma rodovia paulista examinando a observância às recomendações para o uso de dispositivo de proteção lateral e analisando a relação entre as recomendações para o uso de proteção lateral e a ocorrência de acidentes. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que existe carência de aplicação em locais onde os dispositivos são recomendados pelos critérios tradicionais e por critérios ampliados. Estes critérios tradicionais e ampliados foram também comparados baseados nos conceitos de sensibilidade e especificidade, porém, pouco se pode concluir com a utilização dos dados de acidentes obtidos. / This research provides a review of the recommended criteria for the use of lateral safety devices. As important as the roadway design is the roadside design, that is directly related to the safety of vehicles that encroach on the roadside, regardless of the reason. The roadside must mitigate the consequences of run-off-the-road accidents, providing a contiguous area free of obstacles (trees, poles, unrecoverable grounds, etc.) which can cause severe injury to the vehicle occupants, or deploying lateral protective devices, when it is impossible to remove the hazards, both as complementary strategies for reducing damages from run-off-the road accidents. In the literature review, the basic concepts related to roadside protection, the warrants for selecting the type and placement of devices, besides the analysis of recommendation for the safety treatment of drainage devices, were analyzed to identify the studies which gave rise to the traditionally recommended criteria (trying to emphasize the important points that explain the application of such criteria). In addition to traditional recommendations, the comprehensive models were also analyzed, which deals more explicitly with the encroachments and the presence of lateral safety devices as the product of conditional probabilities that involve the encroachment probability, the probability of the encroachment occurring in a hazard envelope, the probability that the vehicle will encroach laterally far enough to reach the hazard, the probability of injury to the driver and passengers, and the cost associated with this injury. Then, the field work analyzed the practice on the use of lateral protective devices in a highway of the State of São Paulo, examining the observance to recommended criteria for using lateral protective devices and analyzing the relationship between the recommendations for the use of lateral protective devices and accident history. The results have shown that there is a deficit in the deployment on sites where the devices were recommended by traditional criteria and improved criteria. This traditional and improved criteria was also compared based on sensitivity and specificity concept, but no valuable conclusions was obtained with the use of accident data available.

The problem surrounding the ever-increasing toll of death and injury arising from road accidents is one which is receiving increasing attention as the number of vehicles on the road continues to rise. While it has not been possible to isolate any one factor as the sole or even primary cause of road accidents, several surveys have shown that in many accidents alcohol has been a contributory factor by affecting the faculties of the driver of pedestrian. The thesis then goes on to discuss factors causing individual differences in response to the same blood alcohol concentration and the correlation between impairment of driving and blood alcohol concentration.

The problem surrounding the ever-increasing toll of death and injury arising from road accidents is one which is receiving increasing attention as the number of vehicles on the road continues to rise. While it has not been possible to isolate any one factor as the sole or even primary cause of road accidents, several surveys have shown that in many accidents alcohol has been a contributory factor by affecting the faculties of the driver of pedestrian. The thesis then goes on to discuss factors causing individual differences in response to the same blood alcohol concentration and the correlation between impairment of driving and blood alcohol concentration.

Esta dissertação trata do uso de dispositivos de proteção lateral. Tão importante quando o projeto da rodovia é o projeto do seu entorno, que está diretamente relacionada à segurança dos veículos desgovernados que saem da pista, seja qual for o motivo. O entorno viário deve ser tal que as conseqüências da saída de pista sejam minimizadas, provendo um entorno livre de obstáculos (sejam árvores, postes, terrenos não atravessáveis, etc.) que possam causar danos severos aos seus motoristas, ou utilizando dispositivo de proteção lateral, na impossibilidade de eliminar os obstáculos agressivos, como estratégias complementares da redução dos danos decorrentes das saídas de pista. Na revisão bibliográfica realizada, os conceitos básicos relacionados com proteção lateral, critérios de seleção do tipo de dispositivos e de posicionamento, além da análise das recomendações para os tratamentos de segurança dos dispositivos de drenagem, foram analisados com o objetivo de identificar os estudos que deram origem aos critérios recomendados tradicionalmente (procurando destacar os pontos importantes que esclarecem a aplicação de tais critérios). Além das recomendações tradicionais, também foram analisados os modelos compreensivos, que tratam de forma mais explícita as saídas de pista e a presença dos dispositivos de proteção lateral, considerando o produto de probabilidades condicionais que envolvem as probabilidades de ocorrência de saídas de pista, a probabilidade da saída de pista estar na envoltória do obstáculo, a probabilidade da distância lateral de saída de pista ser suficiente para haver um impacto, a probabilidade de ocorrência de danos ao motorista e seus ocupantes e o custo associados a estes danos. O trabalho de campo desenvolvido analisou a prática do uso de dispositivos de proteção lateral em uma rodovia paulista examinando a observância às recomendações para o uso de dispositivo de proteção lateral e analisando a relação entre as recomendações para o uso de proteção lateral e a ocorrência de acidentes. Os resultados obtidos demonstram que existe carência de aplicação em locais onde os dispositivos são recomendados pelos critérios tradicionais e por critérios ampliados. Estes critérios tradicionais e ampliados foram também comparados baseados nos conceitos de sensibilidade e especificidade, porém, pouco se pode concluir com a utilização dos dados de acidentes obtidos. / This research provides a review of the recommended criteria for the use of lateral safety devices. As important as the roadway design is the roadside design, that is directly related to the safety of vehicles that encroach on the roadside, regardless of the reason. The roadside must mitigate the consequences of run-off-the-road accidents, providing a contiguous area free of obstacles (trees, poles, unrecoverable grounds, etc.) which can cause severe injury to the vehicle occupants, or deploying lateral protective devices, when it is impossible to remove the hazards, both as complementary strategies for reducing damages from run-off-the road accidents. In the literature review, the basic concepts related to roadside protection, the warrants for selecting the type and placement of devices, besides the analysis of recommendation for the safety treatment of drainage devices, were analyzed to identify the studies which gave rise to the traditionally recommended criteria (trying to emphasize the important points that explain the application of such criteria). In addition to traditional recommendations, the comprehensive models were also analyzed, which deals more explicitly with the encroachments and the presence of lateral safety devices as the product of conditional probabilities that involve the encroachment probability, the probability of the encroachment occurring in a hazard envelope, the probability that the vehicle will encroach laterally far enough to reach the hazard, the probability of injury to the driver and passengers, and the cost associated with this injury. Then, the field work analyzed the practice on the use of lateral protective devices in a highway of the State of São Paulo, examining the observance to recommended criteria for using lateral protective devices and analyzing the relationship between the recommendations for the use of lateral protective devices and accident history. The results have shown that there is a deficit in the deployment on sites where the devices were recommended by traditional criteria and improved criteria. This traditional and improved criteria was also compared based on sensitivity and specificity concept, but no valuable conclusions was obtained with the use of accident data available.

National and international studies and statistics show that road trauma is the leading cause of injury and death of children to age 14 years. One contributing element of this trauma among children relates to pedestrian accidents. Reducing child pedestrian trauma is a complex problem requiring a multi-faceted approach. One approach is through education. This evaluative study explored the links between the implementation of RoadSmart, a new primary school road safety education program developed by VicRoads, and the road crossing behaviour of children in year 2.A process-outcome approach was employed which focused on both the implementation and outcome components of the year 2 "Walking safely" component of the RoadSmart program. RoadSmart offers children first-hand experiences of real-traffic situations and comprises two major parts - school based learning sequences and take-home activities, designed to involve parents/carers in educating their children about road safety. Pre and post unobtrusive observations were undertaken of participating children crossing the road at an unmarked mid-block location and were matched for 44 children. The program was also systematically observed in the classrooms of these students. The findings imply that if teachers implement RoadSmart in the intended manner, students cross roads more safely. Overall findings from this evaluation concur with those of other researchers(Demetre et al., 1993; Rivara, 1990; Roberts, 1980; Thomson et al., 1996), that children under 9 possess capabilities that can be fostered through education and real-street experience to enable them to function more effectively in the traffic environment.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Örebro : Örebro universitet, 2006. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

This study was undertaken to evaluate, within the context of a selected Social Marketing Model, the strategies that South Africa has been using in the past 10 years in promoting Road Safety in the country. The underpinning aim of the study was to determine whether or not these strategies have been adequately addressing the essence of Road Safety Promotion in South Africa in the light of the many changes communities have experienced over the past decade. Another key reason for the quest to evaluate these strategies is the fact that even in spite of their partial implementation, the rate of road accidents in the country continues to increase. Effectively, South Africa is busy losing the Road Safety battle. The study argued that it is vital that South Africa embarks on effective strategies of Road Safety promotion in order to drastically reduce road accidents and mortalities to levels, at least, of between one to nine persons per year. All governmental strategies currently in use for promoting Road Safety in South Africa are more than four years old, and no in-depth study has been done to evaluate their effectiveness and the reasons for failure of those well-planned campaigns coming out of the strategies, where the mortality rates from accidents continue to increase. This study evaluated the strategies and the impact of the campaign messages emanating from them. Qualitative research methodology using group interviews was conducted in three of the nine provinces namely North West, Gauteng, and Free State Province, the presumption being that the three South African provinces, like the rest, contain characteristics that are generally prevalent in the country. The findings of the study revealed that Road Safety officers were neither fully conversant with the strategies for promotion of Road Safety in the country, nor adequately equipped to confidently and effectively manage their obligatory mandate to endorse the Road Safety Promotion programmes. The limited and often absent engagement of communities in the design and implementation of Road Safety Promotion Strategies has not boded well for the country. Among the recommendations made were, adequate orientation and training of Road Safety practitioners in the area of Road Safety Strategies and promotion, which would result in the strengthening of community engagement in Road Safety Promotion Strategies, the need to conduct, at short intervals, the impact analyses of the promotional strategies being used, in order, where necessary, to design fresh promotional messages with impact, using the Social Marketing Framework for Road Safety promotion campaigns. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Communication Management / PhD / Unrestricted

The thesis describes the problems of a complex system for analysis of road accidents, specifically the methodology for solving the collision between vehicle and motorcycle. There are statistics described motorcycle accidents, motorcycle safety features, the basic types of collision positions between vehicles and motorcycles, design methodology for solving with traffic accidents between vehicles and motorcycles. The work is performed a set of different measurements used to supplement and refine the input data for the analysis of road accidents involving motorcycles. The work contains data obtained from measurements.