Durban - The Road Freight Association (RFA) says more visible and interactive traffic policing on the troublesome spots on the N3 highway may help to curb accidents.
RFA CEO Gavin Kelly was commenting on the congestion on the N3 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in recent weeks due to the construction work taking place and daily accidents, most involving trucks.
Kelly cited the boom in mining commodity demand and the near collapse of the rail network as the reasons for the high traffic volume on the roads compared to five years ago.
He said it was important to collect solid data to determine the primary cause for the accidents and provide solutions based on reliable data.
“It is very concerning that there is an increase in crashes - whilst being a simple reflection of increased risk due to increased vehicles and pressures on various routes, the reality is not that easily dismissed. Before any action can be taken - the base cause for the crash needs to be ascertained - and we as a country are extremely bad at doing this - then, secondly, dedicated or targeted action needs to be taken to address the cause, not the symptom,” said Kelly.
He suggested if there was a particular stretch of road that has crashes due to high speeds, then that section needs to have targeted, visible and progressive intervention in terms of bringing the speed down to a safe level.
“There needs to be good data before and after the intervention, so that lessons can be learnt in terms of dealing with similar situations and, of course, whether the interventions are actually achieving the desired effect.”
He said the RFA had many discussions with the various authorities involved in road safety, covering numerous topics, such as general compliance or specific routes and challenges.
The N3, Kelly said, was an important corridor and often experienced crashes resulting from human error and drivers of all categories, while the weather also played a part in this.
“The design of the N3 has taken many of these into consideration, but a far more visible and interactive traffic policing policy may be the deterrent required,” Kelly stressed.
The KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department said it was implementing a number of interventions on the N3 to curb crashes, including more visible signs and deployment of traffic officers during peak hours.