PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA: RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

An overview of the pedestrian accident problem in South Africa is given, and the engineering solutions implemented to improve pedestrian safety are discussed. The pedestrian problem accounts for part of the road safety problem in South Africa. In recent years there has been a reduction in the number of pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Research findings in the early 1980s showed that inadequate provision was being made for pedestrians in a country where about 80 percent of all trips were made by public transport and by foot. A comprehensive research program has been conducted since 1980 to upgrade all the facilities through the development of warrants for the provisions and guidelines for the correct layout and siting of the various types of pedestrian facilities. The various operational problems encountered at the different types of pedestrian facilities are discussed to provide a safer environment. These problems and solutions are dealt with according to the various traffic engineering approaches adop...