Heavy opposition to new speed limits for South Africa

The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) says it doesn’t support a blanket 10km/h reduction in speed limits in the country, as proposed by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) in February 2022.

If enacted, the RTMC’s proposal would reduce speed limits from 60 km/h to 50 km/h in urban areas, 100 km/h to 90 km/h on secondary roads, and 120 km/h to 110 km/h on the country’s highways.

“The Automobile Association acknowledges the RTMC’s February 2022 proposal to reduce national speed limits by 10 km/h,” it said.

“While we appreciate the RTMC’s commitment to reducing road fatalities and enhancing public safety, we believe that any such changes must be underpinned by a more holistic and evidence-based approach.”

The AA added that it doesn’t support the proposed reduction without concurrently addressing broader system challenges that contribute to the high incidence of road crashes in South Africa.

It highlighted the poor condition of many of the country’s roads as a significant concern.

“Without meaningful improvements to road infrastructure, simply lowering speed limits is unlikely to deliver the safety outcomes intended,” the AA added.

The AA listed several alternative recommendations:

• Targeted enforcement — the AA advocates for a focused crackdown on dangerous driving behaviours, such as reckless or distracted driving, and driving under the influence.
• Driver education — the AA says further investment in public education campaigns is essential, particularly those highlighting the dangers of excessive speed.
• Data-driven interventions — rather than universal speed reductions, the AA recommends targeted speed management measures based on empirical data.

Regarding the recommendation for targeted enforcement, the AA says the crackdown on dangerous behaviours must be backed by consistent law enforcement and effective prosecution.

For data-driven interventions, the AA says they should be localised to areas with high crash rates and where there is a large number of pedestrians.

“Speed regulation is a key pillar of road safety strategy,” the AA stated.

“However, the AA urges the RTMC and other relevant authorities to adopt a multifaceted, data-informed approach.”

It adds that it will welcome further dialogue on the topic before any changes to speed policy are enacted.

No evidence to support lower speed limits

In feedback to MyBroadband, driving skills and road safety expert Rob Handfield-Jones emphasised that no evidence shows that reducing speed limits will have the RTMC’s desired outcome.

He said authorities focus on speed limitations as enforcement is relatively simple and profitable.

More pressing issues, such as disregard for other road laws, licence fraud, and intoxicated drivers, make South Africa’s roads unsafe.

Transport minister Barbara Creecy mentioned a high prevalence of motorists driving while intoxicated while announcing the road fatality statistics for the 2024/25 festive season.

“I think part of what has surprised us is that these drivers have been extremely under the influence of alcohol both day and night,” she said.

The country has had one significant broad-scale intervention regarding speed limits aimed at passenger vehicles, the Arrive Alive campaign, launched in 1998.

According to Handfield-Jones, 1998 was the safest year in the country’s history regarding road fatalities. It had a fatality rate of 6.9 deaths per 100 million vehicle kilometres (mvk).

“By 2006, that had doubled to 12.02 deaths per 100mvk despite a massive and near-exclusive focus on speed limit enforcement,” he said.

He added that only around 1.4 million speeding fines were issued in 1998, while the current figure is closer to 12 million per year.

“Yet our fatality rate is probably at least quadruple what it was in 1998,” he stated.

The RTMC proposed reducing the country’s speed limits while presenting proposals as part of its 365 campaign to reduce the carnage on South Africa’s roads.

“We also have, as part of the overall 365 campaign, a focus on speed reduction,” it said.

It added that the campaign would focus on urban areas with high levels of conflict between vulnerable users, such as cyclists and pedestrians, and motor vehicles.

RTMC chief communication officer Simon Zwane said the proposed speed limit adjustments were in line with the United Nations’ recommendations to reduce speed by 10km/h to reduce the number of fatalities.

Zwane said the decision was binding for South Africa as a member of the UN’s roads council, and the government is favouring the lower speed limits.

However, he noted that authorities had not yet begun a formal process to amend the regulations.