As the Western Cape enters its rainy winter season, we are calling on all road users to stay alert and prioritise visibility on the province’s roads. With fog, rain, and shorter daylight hours hampering visibility, the risk of crashes increases significantly on our province’s roads, placing drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists at greater risk.

Your safety starts with your visibility. Visibility is not just about lights or clothing, it is about everyone having a shared responsibility, and a commitment to safer roads. Whether walking, cycling or driving, visibility can mean the difference between life and death.

Our visibility campaign, under the theme “See and Be Seen”, highlights how reduced visibility during winter months directly contributes to increased risk of incidents. We urge all road users to act with extreme caution.

Tips for drivers:

• Ensure all lights, including headlights, brake lights, and indicators, are working.
• Keep windshields, mirrors, and windows clean and free from cracks.
• Reduce speed in poor visibility or wet road conditions.
• Reduce speed near schools, pedestrian crossings, malls and during early morning and evening hours.

Tips for pedestrians:

• Wear bright or reflective clothing, especially in the early morning or evening.
• Carry a light or use reflective bands when walking in low-light conditions.
• Avoid walking on busy roads when you have consumed alcohol or feel tired.
• Always assume motorists may not see you, even if you can see them.

Tips for cyclists:

• Always wear high-visibility or reflective gear, especially in dim or rainy conditions.
• Equip your bicycle with a white front light and red rear light and keep them switched on.
• Use reflective tape on your helmet, pedals, and frame to increase visibility from all angles.
• Obey all traffic signals and ride in single file.
• Avoid wearing dark clothing and ensure you can be seen from a distance, particularly in low-light conditions.

By working together and staying alert, we can prevent unnecessary injuries and save lives on our roads this winter.

#ItCanWait

Whether behind the wheel or on foot, your attention can save lives!!

Did you know that mobile phone use while driving increases the risk of a crash by four times? For texting, the risk increases 23 times. 

Cellphones have become part of our daily lives. Besides a call and messaging a friend, family member or colleague, cellphones have become our newspapers, entertainment, cameras, wallets, shopping lists and our maps. Growing evidence confirms, if you are driving or walking, being distracted by your cellphone significantly increases the risk of a road incident. And any road incident can result in serious injuries or fatalities.

We appeal to all road users to never use a cellphone while driving or walking. Any kind of distraction is extremely dangerous, even eating or changing your playlist.

Pay attention to the road at all times, especially during winter or low visibility conditions. No call or text message is worth risking your life, or someone elses. 

Tips for drivers

• Put your phone away: Use flight mode or keep your phone out of reach.
• Programme your GPS before you start moving: Don’t fumble with it on the road.
• Select you playlist before driving- its much more enjoyable that way.
• No multitasking: Don’t eat or groom while driving, even on slow moving traffic.
• Pull over safely if you urgently need to send a text or take a call: Don’t text or call while on the road.
• Use hands-free systems where available and only when necessary: Even voice commands can be distracting.

Tips for pedestrians

• Keep your head up, not your eyes on your phone: Avoid texting or browsing while walking.
• Pause music, turn down volume or remove earphones when crossing roads: Hearing is as important as seeing.
• Use crossings and obey pedestrian signals: Don’t assume drivers see you.
• Make eye contact with drivers before crossing: Ensure they’ve seen you before stepping off the curb.
• Be especially cautious at night or when visibility is poor: Visibility is reduced for everyone.
• Avoid walking while under the influence: Impaired judgment and slower reactions increase risks.

A mere second’s distraction can cause immense harm, serious injury or worse. Your life, and that of other road users, matter and is not worth the risk.

By taking personal responsibility when using roads, you directly contribute to better conditions and safer Western Cape roads.

No text message or phone call is worth a human life. Whatever it is, #ItCanWait.

The Safely Home programme is the Western Cape Government’s flagship road safety campaign, dedicated to improving road safety for all users. Introduced in 2009 by former Minister of Transport and Public Works, Robin Carlisle, the programme has been instrumental in reducing fatalities on the province’s roads.

Impact of Safely Home

Since its inception, the programme has achieved remarkable results. By 2020, road deaths in the Western Cape dropped from 29.25 to 15.82 per 100,000 people, representing a 46% reduction in fatalities.

This progress aligns with the recommendations of the World Health Organization's World Report on Road Traffic Injury, which outlines six essential steps for countries to improve road safety and save lives. The Western Cape Mobility Department was appointed to lead the implementation of the Safely Home Programme, using these global best practices.

The Four Pillars of Road Safety

Safely Home is built around the Four E’s of Road Safety, recognised as international best practices by the United Nations:

• Enforcement: Ensuring compliance with road safety laws.
• Education: Empowering road users with knowledge to make safer choices.
• Engineering: Designing safer roads and infrastructure.
• Evaluation: Continuously monitoring and improving road safety efforts.

These pillars guide the programme in its mission to address South Africa’s, and particularly the Western Cape’s, status as having some of the world’s most dangerous roads. Safely Home also contributes to achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals by reducing road-related fatalities and injuries.

Who to call in an emergency: 

• South African Police Services (SAPS): 10111
• Metro Emergency Medical Services: 10177
• Emergency Traffic Control Centre: 021 812 4581

Get Involved and Make a Difference:

• Take the Pledge: Commit to safer driving habits.
• Explore Road Safety Tips: Learn practical ways to protect yourself and others on the road.
• View Our Campaigns: Stay informed about our initiatives and success stories.

Together, we can work towards roads that are safe for everyone!