Furthermore, the data shows that pedestrian fatalities have decreased by 50% (from 14 in 2017 to seven in 2018). N3TC also recorded an overall traffic growth of 4,4% for the first quarter of 2018 in comparison to the previous year. Traffic for Easter weekend, which is the busiest period on the route, also increased by 4,3%.
Despite the increase in traffic, only one fatality was reported during the Easter weekend along the entire route. This was a pedestrian fatality near Warden in the Free State.
Traffic engineer of N3 Toll Concession, Miles le Roux, says: “Although the number of vehicle crashes increased by 13.5% during the first quarter of 2018 (274 in 2017 to 311 in 2018), N3TC is heartened by the marked decrease in the severity of crashes.”
Wet weather was a contributory factor in 23.2% of the slight-injury crashes that were recorded along the N3 Toll Route. The majority of crashes (164) occurred at night as opposed to 147 daytime crashes.
Human error was the main cause in both heavy vehicle and light vehicle crashes followed by vehicle failures (including tyre blowouts and brake failure).The top three types of crashes were listed as: vehicle left road (32,2%); vehicle rolled (16,1%); head-tail/moving vehicle (13,2%).
N3TC Road Incident Management Systems (Rims) has instituted various safety interventions as part of a comprehensive plan to effectively address road safety issues along the route. These include joint initiatives to build road safety management capacity, improve the safety of road infrastructure and transport networks, enhance the behaviour of road users, and to improve post-crash care.
“A vast improvement in visible policing and active law enforcement along the entire route was noted. I have no doubt that the pro-active partnerships with law enforcement agencies and emergency services are bearing fruit. In the past month, regular traffic checkpoint exercises by all the Roads Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officers and the SA Police managed to control the alarming increase in serious crashes,” says Le Roux.
Le Roux further states that efforts during the Easter long weekend had a marked impact on the overall safety of road users along the route. The efforts were integrated road-blocks, the checking and searching of vehicles, the manning of six temporary satellite stations, the implementation of special medical rescue services, and heightened speed enforcement along all sections of the route.
