South Africa is confronted, among other problems, with a high traffic accident rate. So far, authorities have based prevention of traffic accidents and improvement of safety, on people and variables directly related to the accidents. Little attention has been given until now to decisions taken far earlier, which determine to a great extent the present traffic situation. Besides, available information makes clear that the collection and processing of traffic accident data is not satisfactory/toereikend. Reasoning from a theoretical framework on general failure types, this study makes an attempt to get some insight into the conditions in which traffic is taking place, in two so-called coloured areas near Cape Town. The focus of attention was on people from the lower social-economical layer of the population. A relationship was assumed between people's income on the one side, and their need of mobility, and their vulnerability with respect to traffic, on the other. The study underlined the need of mobility, the lack of choice in modes of transport, and the general feeling of unsafety while travelling. (A)
Abstract