Worrying number of child pedestrian fatalities warrants call to action

 Partnership-backed Scholar Patrol initiative to create safer streets and brighter futures for township learners

South Africa currently has one of the highest road fatality rates in the world. Among the thousands who lose their lives in road-related incidents every year, is an unacceptably high proportion of children and young adults. In a bid to amplify the call for safer roads and to raise awareness around this important issue, Santam has partnered with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) to launch a Scholar Patrol initiative in the under-resourced Sedibeng District Municipality, in Gauteng.

Neptal Khoza, Head of Market Development at Santam says that Scholar Patrols have become synonymous with road safety for learners in many urban areas throughout the country. There are currently 2002 registered Scholar Patrols in South Africa, with more than 24 000 participants, volunteers and supervisors.

“We have however, identified a need to roll Scholar Patrol projects out in townships, where many children walk or commute to school without adult supervision and often need to cross dangerous, multi-laned roads.

“Through this initiative, we will make it possible for children in three of Sedibeng’s most populated townships, to benefit from this same level of attentiveness and care,” he adds.

Child safety concerns warrant an urgent call-to-action

According to the RTMC, the most affected road user groups in car accidents are pedestrians (42%). Furthermore, of the over 12 400 road deaths that occur in South Africa every year, 10.2% of these fatalities involve children under the age of 14. Research has also found that more than 60% of children between the ages of 5 and 14 are involved in fatal crashes as pedestrians between the hours of 12H00 and 19H00.

Leading the way towards safer SA communities

In partnering with the RTMC to pilot the Scholar Patrol project in the Sedibeng District Municipality, Santam aims to address the pressing need for safe road crossings and greater awareness among young pedestrians. Santam will set up Scholar Patrols at 10 schools, with the goal of expanding the project to other provinces.

Safety patrollers on duty will be trained effectively, given the appropriate uniforms and equipment, including umbrellas and rain ponchos during the rainy season. Patrollers will also receive certificates of recognition for their participation.

The initiative will also provide much-needed temporary employment opportunities for the surrounding communities. Post-matric, unemployed youth will be recruited as patrollers in a bid to contribute towards the government’s objective to provide an avenue for labour absorption and income transfers to poor households, in the short-medium term.

As Khoza concludes: “The project has the potential to prepare youth for future careers in road safety, traffic police, and general law enforcement. This project is one of many initiatives that we will plug into the existing community enhancement structures in achieving our broader goal of building more resilient communities., We foresee that learners as well as their families and communities will benefit immensely form this service.

We call on other corporates and private sector entities to join us in partnering with the public sector in ways that can benefit greater society and ultimately provide existing initiatives with the boost they need to reach their full potential.”

Pedestrian safety remains the most significant road safety challenge in South Africa with an average of 40% of all fatalities being pedestrians. Our records as the RTMC indicates that on average of 10,2% of pedestrian fatalities are of the 0 to 14 age bracket. For the past three years 47% of fatal crashes involve pedestrians, Gauteng as one of the main contributors to the high pedestrian fatality rate.

“Funding for road safety remains a challenge for the RTMC. There has been continuous effort towards engagement of private sector for collaboration on implementation of road safety initiatives. There is still opportunity for better coordination of effort towards road safety to realize greater impact. The school intervention by SANTAM in the road safety programme will go a long way in creating safer communities and save more lives”. Said Simon Zwane – Spokesperson for the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).