Abstract
South Africa has a poor road safety record that compares badly with both developed and developing countries. As in most places the single biggest cause of accidents is considered human behaviour, followed by the road environment and vehicular deficiencies. A very high percentage of the fatalities in South Africa (approximately 40 per cent) are pedestrians. Many opinions exist on the reasons for the high accident and fatality rates - from the road authorities to the general public. It is postulated that the socio-economic situation in South Africa, i.e. the fact that it is a developing country or a peculiar mix of first and third world circumstances, is the underlying cause for the poor road safety record (A).