BRENWIN NAIDU | Solutions to make SA’s roads safer

Chances are you witnessed some pretty deplorable driving on the way to work this morning. Or you were a culprit.

Disregarding solid painted lines and other road markings, zero care for speed limits, smartphone-focussed motorists and those who have normalised driving with a drink in hand. Our roads are chaotic.

We know too well about the tragic consequences — senseless loss of life — and yet we continue to operate our motor vehicles without complete awareness and consideration.

I recently caught up with Grant McCleery, who has dedicated a great portion of his life to road safety advocacy. Our chat began as a rant about the ever-deteriorating standards of driving, horrific news stories about festive season fatalities and recent scholar transport tragedies. It then became a talk about solutions.

A former SA motorsport champion on both two and four wheels, McCleery runs driver training firm Driving Dynamics, spending the last 42 years teaching people how to become better drivers — from motorists in a private capacity to corporates and policing units.

Overhauling the K53 system

Most of us have gone through the K53 driver licensing system in order to legally operate a vehicle on national roads. I say “most” because it is well-documented that some are able to acquire a licence through corrupt officials, skipping learner’s examinations, yard tests and on-road experience.

According to McCleery, in addition to a clamp-down on corruption, practical revisions need to be made to the process.

“A successful yard test followed by an on-road examination ensures a valid driver’s licence to be issued but does not equip the driver with emergency driving skills, such as evasive avoidance measures, dealing with tyre failures, experiencing safety features such as anti-lock brakes, stability control or traction control, and driving in adverse weather,” he said.

The dangers of inexperience become more concerning when one considers the level of performance available to the average buyer in 2026.

McCleery suggests that SA should adopt a similar approach to certain American states, where one is required to complete sessions with a driving instructor even before obtaining a learner’s permit.

“The driver’s licence procedures and processes should include more than just a yard driving test.

“Licence departments ill-equipped to deal with an influx of applicants create room for frustration, leading to unlawful, corrupt means of obtaining a licence.”

Improving regulations for public transport operators

During back-to-school season, an incident in which 14 children were killed cast the light yet again on public transport operators — and scholar transport providers in particular.

McCleery said the tragic collision was another reminder of the flaws around the professional driver’s permit (PrDP) process, “merely a money-generating and paperwork exercise” without a real foundation to ensure operators are competent.

To effect genuine change regarding safety, McCleery believes that clear measures should be taken: fitting scholar transport vehicles with cameras and telematics systems and stricter laws around unlawful behaviour — with immediate impounding for transgressors and mandatory use of safety belts for all occupants, which will curb overloading as a result.

Law enforcement needs to come to the party

A main road near my residence has become a favoured spot for Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) officers to set speed-trap cameras. A welcomed effort for controlling speeding motorists in the vicinity — but once the stretch of road has passed, it seems motorists go back to full throttle.

McCleery believes that consistent, visible policing, rather than sporadic, revenue-generating speed-trap activities, would go a long way not only in deterring crime but also in improving driver behaviour.

“A traffic officer behind a bush does not do anything for road safety,” he said, adding that enforcement needs to be more proactive in ensuring motorists are operating roadworthy vehicles, are equipped with the relevant licences and are obeying basic rules of the road.

What motorists can expect to learn on an advanced driving course

Driver training is not all about fun on slaloms and skidpans—the skills you learn can prepare you for real-life scenarios and will also allow drivers to avoid precarious situations in the first place.

McCleery said a good advanced driving course should boast a strong theory component, focusing on driver awareness, attitudes, knowledge of vehicles’ safety systems and the rules of the road.

Then there is the practical, hands-on aspect: correct seating and steering techniques, emergency lane changes, emergency braking, purposefully losing control of the vehicle — and learning how to recover — as well as the variables of wet-surface driving.

“With more than 10,000 people killed on our roads last year, of which 1,427 fatalities were recorded over the festive season from 1,172 crashes according to the preliminary statistics, drivers more than ever need proper training on how to drive properly and control their vehicles in emergencies.”

Even before driver training, focussing on the basics can make a difference

McCleery offers some basic points to consider that would make you a better motorist, even before attending an advanced driving course.

“Be less aggressive — South Africans are known to be some of the most aggressive users on the road. Ensure your vehicle is roadworthy, ensure all occupants are wearing seatbelts, avoid mobile phone usage while driving and simply adhere to the general rules of the road.”