New Speed Plan Could See Western Cape Speed Limit Reduced

It seems Transport MEC Robin Carlisle is serious about curbing road deaths in the Western Cape. He is currently busy considering a raft of radical road-safety measures.

These include banning blue-light brigades transporting VIP’s, tough new child restraint laws, a new 1,5m passing law for motorists overtaking cyclists, and a possible reduction in speed limits across the province as part of the Safely Home campaign.

Carlisle is considering the reduction of speed limits by 10km/h, from 120km/h to 110km/h, and from 80km/h to 70km/h. Special consideration would also be given to roads which pass shops, schools and other areas with a high number of pedestrians, where speed limits could be reduced to just 40km/h or even 30km/h.

Whether you agree or disagree with his measures, his results are pretty impressive so far. Since he took office in 2009, Safely Home has reduced the road death rate by 29%.

[Source: iol]

phatfossil

It’s not the cars crashing into each other causing deaths you poephol, it’s taxis dragging their under carridges on the raods accompanied by sparks and dripping oil that cause them to drive into each other killing everyone inside! Address the swiss cheese taxi busses and stop looking at responsible drivers!
Thrustmaster

Shoe! That’s a bit harsh criticism. Do you have any figures or statistics backing up your claim? I don’t think calling the person who reduced the road death rate by 29% a “poephol” is right. He’s doing a great job.
phatfossil

Why do you need statistics if it’s on the SABC news on a regular basis, taxis crossing rail way tracks killing 10 children last year August and the N1/N2 lanes closed due to overturned taxis taking fat chances overtaking on yellow lines causing chaos, etc etc just to name a few. If you know the government as well as any other SA citizen then you’ll know that their 29% or what ever it is hold little or no truth to begin with.
Thrustmaster

“Why do you need statistics if it’s on the SABC news on a regular basis”
C’mon phatfossil, are you serious? It’s called sensationalism. They report on what would draw the most viewers.
Mr Carlisle no doubt has the facts and figures in front of him while we don’t. I’m not saying you are wrong about the taxis, what I’m saying is we don’t need emotionally fueled outburst and tinfoil hat assumptions that the figures are manipulated. That’s being part of the problem.
I can personally attest that every day I drive past taxis being taken of the road and inspected. It’s clear that they are being targeted (which is good of course).
Let’s keep our criticisms grounded on fact.
phatfossil

Fact is unroadworthy vehicles and speeding are the leading cause of deaths on our roads. People transporters carry more lives onboard than citizen’s, thus casualty’s are higher. Restricting regular me and you by driving 110km/h will not solve anything. Sure the one or two people in the car will succumb, but by deliberately ignoring the law on our roads by not caring about anyone but themselves and their wage to get from point A to B the fastest way possible will endanger you and myself and possibly our lives by trying to avoid and serve out the way. I hear what you are saying about sensationalism, but dying because a taxi drove head first into your car trying a suicide move killing everyone inside is not sensationalism when a newspaper write about it. It’s not about the one’s and the two’s, it’s the bigger picture where 10, 20, 30 people die because of ignorance and couldn’t care less attitude.
Ernst

As @thrustmaster:disqus said, the taxis are already being targeted and I agree with him 100% as I see it too almost every day. The speed limits is not for only for the “regular me and you”, but for everyone and that includes taxis. You are focusing on the negative and just remember that if you look for the devil behind every bush, you’ll find him there. Apart from the already decent safety figures compared to other provinces, more is being done on top of all that. And at least something is being done about road safety in this awesome province of ours so stop being so damn negative!
Wuppy

If the speed limit in sa is 120km, why are car manufacturers not forced to produce cars which are governed to this speed limit??

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