18/10/2024
RAF EXTENDS THE DEFENSIVE DRIVER WORKSHOP TO SCHOLAR TRANSPORT DRIVERS TO SAVE CHILDREN
Ratlou Mabula
October is Transport Month in South Africa and it is during this month that the Department of Transport and its entities showcase transport infrastructure services in aviation; maritime; public transport and roads.
The Transport Month was declared during Transport Lekgotla in 2005.
This was to raise awareness on the important role of transport in the economy and to encourage participation from civil society and business, including the provision of a safe and more affordable, accessible and reliable transport system in the country.
The month is also used to further advance the country’s road safety initiatives, while also creating awareness of the economic benefits of the sector.
Road Accident Fund (RAF), which provides a social security safety net to the country and economy by making available compulsory social insurance cover to all users of South African roads, is extending its influential Defensive Driver Workshops to Scholar Transport Drivers
across the country.
Known for providing cover to all users of South African roads, citizens and foreigners, against injuries sustained or death arising from accidents involving motor vehicles within the borders of South Africa, RAF has noted that road accidents involving scholar transport drivers are occurring with increased frequency in South Africa.
The theory-based workshops are aimed at equipping drivers with crucial lessons in speed management, road worthiness of vehicles, tyre management, avoiding distraction and overloading, searching and identifying hazards, predicting possible scenarios, and executing or taking the safest action.
RAF Senior Manager for Road Safety, Siphamandla Gumbi, said statistics indicate that on average 827 children between the ages of 5 and 14 were killed on South African roads annually between 2018 and 2022.
Many of these children were pedestrians at 66%, followed
by passengers at 33%. He said the programme contributes to changing the driving behaviour of scholar drivers and reducing road crashes involving this road user category in the long run.
"The potential for more children to be involved in accidents is high due to the large number of learners at school going age in the country”, he said.
A report by the Department of Basic Education says at least 13.5 million children between the ages of 7 and 18 attend school in South Africa.
Of this number, 67% walk to school,while 12% (1.6 million) travel in private scholar transport.
An additional 3% (400 000) use scholar transport provided
by the government. This brings the total number of children using scholar transport to 2 million. The remaining 16% use a combination of private cars and public transport.
Since its commencement in 2016, the defensive driver workshop has been offered to between 800-1000 commercial transport drivers annually. This includes taxi, truck and bus drivers nationwide.
Gumbi further said the workshop is critical for Scholar Transport Drivers
to recognise their share of responsibility in saving the lives of the learners they transport and of other road
users.
"The Fund has developed road safety initiatives and programmes that focus on changing attitudes and behaviour of road users. We want outcomes that include placing value on human lives and reducing road accidents. In the next few years, the Fund will measure the effectiveness of these programmes, and we hope
to see a positive impact” he said.
After completing each workshop, all participants receive a pocket booklet containing information that they learned in the workshop for future reference.
Additionally, the drivers receive a certificate of attendance from
a reputable Transport Education Training Authority accredited training provider.
Throughout the year, RAF implements road safety programmes targeting different road users and these programmes include Scholar Patrol uniform distribution and training, Tyre Safety Workshops for Traffic and Road
Safety Officers, Cyclist safety programmes for schools and communities, the Comprehensive Road Safety programme for learners and young people, and road safety education in partnership with other road safety
stakeholders.
