Too often when talking about road safely and accidents, we tend to ignore the fact that 40% of the over 15 000 annual deaths on our roads are pedestrians. Ask any truck driver who has felt the impact of a human body crunched against the front of his truck and he'll tell you he wants something done about pedestrian safety. While many search for solutions to this problem, it is heartening to see the actions taken by the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) to protect pedestrians along its roads writes Patrick O'Leary.

Although one might find it difficult to believe, it's not all bad news out on our roads when it comes to road safety. On this point, FleetWatch lifts its hat to SANRAL for the efforts it has taken to implement measures for the protection of pedestrians.

A clear sign of such action is given on the N1 when one drives past Hammanskraal. This busy highway runs through many kilometres of open land and then suddenly runs through the densely populated area of Hammanskraal. Previously, the only barrier separating the population from the traffic was a skimpy fence which residents took no notice of when crossing the highway to visit friends on the other side. 
 

Kilometres of wall on both sides of the N1 prevent Hammanskraal residents from their own folly of crossing the highway and being killed. The famous 'sausage bridge' allows safe access to both sides for local residents.

Tragically, many pedestrians were killed by passing traffic and although, as Nazir Alli, CEO of SANRAL says, "we are not responsible for personal safety on our roads and we don't have the legal competency to conduct law enforcement on our roads", SANRAL does subscribe to the Arrive Alive principals and in the spirit of being a good corporate citizen, has taken measures to do something for pedestrians. SANRAL's prime responsibility, by the way, is to ensure that its roads are correctly engineered for the safe passage of all vehicles over them.

At Hammanskraal, a wall that runs for kilometres on both sides of the highway was erected with a bridge - known as the 'sausage bridge' - erected to link both sides for resident pedestrians.

I also noticed while driving along the N2 in KwaZulu Natal - and some of the smaller roads towards Sodwana Bay for example - that sidewalks had been built alongside the roads - on both sides - for pedestrians. These strips runs for miles and miles and gangs of workers were constructing them at the time I passed. They're like a road alongside a road - expect in this case, they're for pedestrians.
 

The road provides for the safe passage of vehicles while the walkway provides for the safe passage of pedestrians. A winner from SANRAL and its partners in such ventures.

According to Alli, all this started some years ago when they saw a problem and decided to do something about it. Since then, there are many places around the country - not just the two mentioned here- where action has been taken.

"Apart from saving the lives of pedestrians, the other important thing is that when we do work like this, we look for partnerships either with the provinces or the local Roads Agencies or Authorities. We also get SMME's involved in doing the work so there are all round benefits for many participants," says Alli.

The reduction of pedestrian deaths where such work has been done has been recorded and that has got to make the expense worth while. Well done to SANRAL for walking its safety talk - if you'll excuse the pun.
 

What's that saying about taking a horse to water but not being able to make him drink? Now if only all pedestrians would use the safe walkways provided, hey!