Vehicle accidents in the GMM area largely involves VW polos
Gauteng: Volkswagen Polo, Toyota Hilux and Toyota Quantum are the vehicle models mostly involved in fatal crashes in South Africa and account for the highest number of speed infringement fines issued, a study conducted by the Road Traffic Management Corporation has revealed.
A baseline study – titled South African Fatal Crashes in Context – which was published last month analysed fatal crash data from 1 October 2017 to 30 June 2021 a period of 3.8 years. It also analysed Aarto speed infringement data from 1 January 2019 to 20 June 2021, a period of 2.5 years.
A total of 48 330 vehicles were involved in 37 583 fatal crashes with 45 232 deaths during the period according to data on the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s national crash data management system.
An analysis of the top 20 vehicle models involved in fatal crashes showed that the Volkswagen Polo, Toyota Hilux and Toyota Quantum were involved in 43.2% of fatal crashes.
The Volkswagen Polo came out on top, with a contribution of 16.7% of all fatal crashes, confirming what many South Africans have long suspected. It was followed closely by the Toyota Hilux which was involved in 14.2% of fatal crashes and the Toyota Quantum with a recorded 12.2% involvement in fatal crashes.
These three vehicle models also accounted for the highest number of Aarto speed infringement fines issued by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department, Tshwane Metro Police Department, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, and the National Traffic Police.
A total of 35% of speed infringement fines were issued to these three vehicle models in the period under review even though they constituted 33% of the total vehicle population.
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The high number of speed infringements committed by public transport types of vehicles such as the Toyota Quantum is unacceptable and needs to be addressed.
Even though not acceptable, considering that Toyota Quantum and Toyota Hiace vehicles are on road on a semi-full-time basis and travel more million vehicle kilometres vs other vehicle models and would thus be exposed to more on road conflict situations and/or to driver fatigue, one could expect more fatal crashes for this type of classes.
Although it is expected that public transport vehicles will be involved in crashes because they are on the road on a semi-full-time basis and travel more million vehicle kilometres compared to other vehicle models, their contribution to fatalities remains unacceptably high considering that they constitute a mere 3.3% of the total vehicle population.
Here is the top 20 list of vehicle make and models with the highest contribution to fatal crashes and speed infringements and their representation in the total vehicle population.
Read the full report on the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s website HERE
The aim of this report is to provide input to road safety programmes regarding the ‘type of vehicle’ which is involved in fatal crashes. In addition, through the analysis of speed infringements of the type of vehicle that is involved in fatal crashes, possible over- underrepresentation of vehicle type in fatal crashes and or involved speed infringements are analysed and discussed.
Amongst others, safe vehicles, and safe speeds as well as safe road use are critical elements of the Safe System approach to which this report might provide relevant analysis output.
A safe system approach recognises that:
- the safety and preservation of human life as the highest value of consideration and that deaths and injuries are not an inevitable outcome of road transport;
- humans are fallible and capable of making errors that are not mitigated by education, training or enforcement;
- humans are fragile and have limits to the crash forces they can sustain, before serious or fatal injuries are inevitable; and
- those who design and maintain the roads, manufacture vehicles, and administer safety programmes share responsibility for safety with road users so that when a death or an injury occurs, remedies are sought throughout the system.
The study also found that Volkswagen Polo and Toyota Quantum vehicles aged between 5-10 years were involved in most fatal crashes when ranked by the grouping of the vehicle make, model and age.
The report will inform further research that will provide input towards reducing death and injuries because of road crashes
The full report is available on the RTMC website www.rtmc.co.za
