An investigation into the reduction of road safety risk in Cape Town through the use of microscopic simulation modelling : a vehicle-pedestrian and infrastructure interaction assessment

Abstract

The record of road traffic fatalities in South Africa at around 15,000 per year has continued unabated over the last decade and has led to South African cities consistently featuring at the top of the list of worst known locations for road fatalities around the world. Worryingly, these statistics show that more than half of these fatalities are pedestrians. With the increasing rates of urbanisation and motorisation being experienced this record is likely to continue or decline unless greater emphasis is placed on road safety. The underlying reasons for the fatality rates are complex. They are influenced by a combination of road network planning and design, the settlement patterns and by behavioural and law enforcement issues. In particular, the road network planning and design concepts have led to a hierarchical road infrastructure system of provision that comprises of many arterial and distributor roads where vehicular speeds are high and, there is limited, or no provision for non-motorised travel outside of the central city areas.