Politics, violence and road safety : why are South African roads such dangerous places?

This paper attempts to examine the reasons behind the behaviour on the roads of South Africa today which has led us to a death rate of some 15 x that of developed countries such as Australia, the United States and Europe. I am fully aware that we have a lower rate of crashes than many developing countries in the world, which account for 70 per cent of global deaths, although they only carry 30 per cent of the traffic. South Africa is a society in transition, with a history markedly different from most developing countries, with its own special circumstances and conditions. The paper is a reflection on the political and social history of my country, and an entirely personal view of the factors, which I perceive to be contributory to the carnage on our roads, and the attitudes, and behaviour that contributes to that carnage. I am aware that I am speaking to engineers, scientists and other people who base their work on logical and scientific principles, and my presentation will concentrate on behaviour, emotion, personal perception and some social analysis. Please bear with me on our journey. (Author/publisher).