Former Ferrari F1 team boss Jean Todt in South Africa to promote road safety

Former Ferrari Formula One team principal Jean Todt was in Pretoria on Wednesday to help launch a bold UN global road safety campaign.

Todt, who started as the UN secretary-general’s special envoy for road safety in 2015, works with many countries’ ministries and transport departments to promote road safety globally.

In attendance at the Menlyn, Pretoria, conference were transport minister Sindisiwe Chikunga and the CEOs of the transport department’s various agencies, including Reginald Demana (Sanral); Lwazi Mboyi (Cross Border Road Transport Agency, CBRTA); Matsemela Moloi (Road Traffic Infringement Agency, RTIA); Collins Letsoalo (Road Accident Fund) and Makhosini Msibi (Road Traffic Management Corporation).

Martin Sabbagh, board chair of JCDecaux SA, a leading outdoor advertising corporation that will provide the national footprint of billboards for free, also attended the conference.

The UN road safety campaign is aimed at people aged between 23 and 39, whom Chikunga said were the most affected by the nearly 12,000 accidents on South Africa's roads every year, as audited by the Automobile Association (AA). Pedestrians account for 43% of road deaths, according to the AA.

The fresh and innovative road safety campaign includes support pledges from several global icons such as Didier Drogba, a former Ivorian footballer, and singer Kylie Minogue. 

The messages range from “I drive slow” by Naomi Campbell to “I wear a seat belt” by racing driver Charles Leclerc. Other personalities participating are motorcycle ace Marc Marquez, musician Youssou N’Dour, actor Patrick Dempsey and footballer Ousmane Dembélé, among others.

Todt said he was committed to helping reduce the 1.2-million global road deaths recorded annually, which he said cost global economies up to $2.3-trillion dollars (R41.95-trillion) annually. He said he was particularly troubled by Africa’s road carnage statistics, which are estimated at four times higher than the Eurozone’s, and of which 70% involve two-wheel mobility.

Chikunga, who lost a son, daughter-in-law and four grandchildren in a car accident on the N11 highway in July 2022, said she was worried about the generally cavalier attitude of South Africa's road users, despite numerous interventions such as increased police visibility and reduced driving blood alcohol levels.

With about 12.5-million cars in South Africa, Chikunga added that road deaths contributed 16% to the global average, and that her department was now in phase 2 (2021-2030) of its “decade of action” to reduce road accidents and deaths, with which the UN campaign aligns.

The agency CEOs shared their plans to reduce accidents, as well as the challenges such as corruption.

Matsemela Moloi of the RTIA, the agency tasked with managing road traffic offences and awareness, shot down the suggestion of body cameras for officers to curb corruption, citing the high cost to the government — money that could be used for more pressing projects.

Mboyi of the CBRTA, which oversees cross-border operations, highlighted the many challenges, including system glitches, that resulted in the much-publicised traffic congestion at the Lebombo border post in 2022.

Mboyi also spoke of the effects of driver fatigue in the long-haul trucking sector, adding that some drivers from far-flung countries had financial incentives for quick returns, resulting in the rise in deadly accidents involving trucks.

Reginald Demana of Sanral, the agency responsible for construction and maintenance of roads, spoke at length about crime hotspots and other challenges including dangerous crossing of roads and highways by pedestrians, the cohort that records the highest percentage in road deaths despite the agency’s investments in pedestrian bridges. On this front, he laid the blame on the spatial planning of towns and cities.           

Chikunga pleaded with the public to be more considerate of others while using the country’s roads.