The most vulnerable road users are the least protected — that must change

South Africa’s roads are used every day by millions of people who walk or cycle to work, school, shops, clinics, public transport and community facilities, as well as those who cycle and run for exercise and pleasure.

These pedestrians, cyclists, and runners form the foundation of our mobility system, yet they remain the most exposed to harm.

Organisations such as the Pedal Power Association (PPA) and the Bicycling Empowerment Network (BEN) have repeatedly raised concerns about the risks faced by vulnerable road users, warning that preventable incidents continue to occur on routes used daily by ordinary people.

These concerns were underscored again in recent weeks, when Cape Town saw two serious cycling incidents on its Atlantic Seaboard: one cyclist killed in Camps Bay and another fatally injured on Victoria Road. Both incidents generated substantial engagement on social media, with people expressing shock, anger and frustration.

But this pattern is not confined to the Western Cape. Just weeks earlier, a collision on a major arterial road outside the province — a route known for heavy traffic and limited cycling lanes — left one cyclist dead and several others injured during a group ride. The incident triggered widespread national debate and intense social media reaction, highlighting once again the vulnerability of cyclists on ordinary, high-traffic roads.

The visibility imbalance

Despite these high-profile cases, daily incidents affecting pedestrians, cyclists, runners and minibus-taxi passengers — often on ordinary streets, at public-transport interchanges or near schools and clinics — seldom make the news. Their injuries are no less severe and their lives are no less valuable. The imbalance in visibility distorts public understanding of where the real risks lie and obscures the systemic nature of the problem.

Behaviour, not mode, drives risk

The underlying issue is not the type of road user involved. It is the behaviour of users of our road systems. Speeding, dangerous overtaking, distraction and poor lane discipline remain leading contributors to severe and fatal crashes. These behaviours disproportionately harm those with the least physical protection.

They also explain why South Africa is not on track to meet its commitment under the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, which requires a 50% reduction in road deaths by 2030. This is a formal national obligation — and without interventions that change behaviour and improve accountability, the country will not meet it.

We already know what works

South Africa does not need to speculate about whether behaviour-change programmes work. We have already tested them and proven they work — even if we have not sustained them.

The Western Cape’s Blue Dot Taxi Programme, although not extended beyond its pilot phase, demonstrated that driving behaviour can improve rapidly when monitoring, incentives and accountability are aligned. Using telematics to record how vehicles were driven, Blue Dot reduced speeding, harsh braking and harsh acceleration, and improved lane discipline on high-risk corridors. It also improved safety for the hundreds of thousands of passengers who rely on minibus taxis every day.

Telematics: A proven tool for safer roads

For readers unfamiliar with the technology, telematics is simply a system that records how a vehicle is driven. A small device measures speed, braking, acceleration, cornering and route choice. GPS provides location information, and the data is transmitted to a secure platform that identifies patterns and risky behaviour. It does not record conversations or personal content; it records driving behaviour, objectively and in real time.

This makes it a powerful tool for protecting vulnerable road users, who are most at risk when drivers speed or lose control.

The private sector continues — the public sector has stalled

While the Blue Dot pilot ended, telematics-based behaviour-change systems continue to operate at scale in the private sector. Discovery Insure’s Vitality Drive programme monitors the driving behaviour of more than 200,000 South African motorists. Their Drive Trends Reports consistently show that risky behaviours — particularly speeding — can be identified, measured and influenced through incentives and feedback.

Fleet management systems across the country use similar tools in logistics, freight and corporate fleets. In other words, the private sector continues to apply — and benefit from — the very approach that the public sector has allowed to lapse.

So why does this matters for individuals and society?

Pedestrians, cyclists, runners, and minibus-taxi passengers — the people who contribute the least to congestion, emissions and road wear — are the ones who face the greatest danger. But the consequences of unsafe driving and any irresponsible behaviour on the road extend far beyond individual victims. When drivers speed, overtake recklessly or lose concentration, and when any road user behaves unpredictably or disregards basic safety, the risks multiply — and families and communities bear the long-term trauma.

Reducing road incidents not only prevents immense trauma for families and communities, but also:

• lowers healthcare and emergency-response costs;
• reduces economic losses from injury, disability, and death;
• improves public confidence in walking and cycling;
• supports sustainable mobility goals;
• reduces emissions and congestion; and
• strengthens social equity by protecting those with the least choice.

As roads become safer, more people are willing to cycle — unlocking health, environmental and economic benefits that South Africa urgently needs.

Enforcement and prosecution first,
supported by behaviour-change programmes

South Africa cannot reduce road deaths without a road-safety system that delivers real accountability. At present, enforcement of traffic violations is inconsistent, investigations into serious incidents are often inadequate, and many cases involving vulnerable road users never result in prosecution or meaningful sanction. This lack of consequence allows dangerous driving to persist and leaves victims and their families without justice.

Behaviour-change and incentive-based programmes — such as the Western Cape’s Blue Dot Taxi initiative and Discovery Insure’s Vitality Drive — have shown that positive reinforcement can support safer driving. But these programmes cannot compensate for weak enforcement and inconsistent prosecution. They are valuable tools that reinforce safer behaviour, but they depend on a foundation of credible legal consequence.

The PPA and BEN strongly urge authorities to adopt this dual approach:

1. Rigorous enforcement and thorough investigation of incidents, followed by prosecution and sanctions that reflect the severity of the harm caused.
2. Behaviour-change programmes that support and strengthen safer choices, complementing — not replacing — the legal accountability required to deter dangerous conduct.

The PPA and BEN also recognise that cyclists have responsibilities within this shared road environment. Riding predictably, obeying traffic signals, using lights at night and respecting other road users are essential to building a culture of safety. Responsible behaviour from all road users strengthens the case for improved protection, enforcement and investment in safer infrastructure.

This dual approach — robust enforcement and prosecution, supported by behaviour-change incentives and responsible conduct from all road users — is essential if South Africa is to meet its commitments under the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Evidence, funding, and political will

If South Africa is serious about reducing road deaths by 2030, it must adopt interventions that directly address unsafe driving behaviour. Reviving and scaling a programme like Blue Dot is one of the few tools capable of doing this at scale, with measurable results and immediate benefits for those most at risk.

South Africa cannot continue to accept a situation in which the most vulnerable road users bear the highest burden of harm. A safer transport system is possible. We have already seen what works.

Accountability and investment: The real test

South Africa has committed, as a signatory to the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, to halving road deaths by 2030. Meeting that obligation requires political will, institutional accountability and funding decisions that reflect evidence rather than inertia. Continuing to prioritise road-expansion budgets while allowing proven behaviour-change programmes to lapse is a misalignment of public investment with public need.

Redirecting resources toward interventions that directly reduce risky driving would not only save lives — it would strengthen the economy, reduce the social and healthcare costs of crashes and enable more people to walk and cycle with confidence. As roads become safer, cycling becomes a viable everyday mode for more South Africans, accelerating the shift toward sustainable mobility and its associated environmental, health and economic benefits.

Our transport and mobility authorities have the mandate and the evidence; what remains is the political will to act on it — and we can’t afford not to.

Meeting South Africa’s 2030 road-safety commitments requires this dual approach — rigorous enforcement and prosecution supported by proven behaviour-change programmes, alongside responsible conduct from all road users — a position strongly urged by the PPA and BEN. DM