The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) in South Africa is facing criticism for its controversial proposal to reduce speed limits across the country by 10km/h. While the plan aligns with UN recommendations for road safety, experts and the public remain divided on its efficacy.
The future of speed limits in Pretoria hangs in the balance as the Road Traffic Management Corporation ( RTMC ) remains tight-lipped about its controversial proposal to lower limits by 10km/h across South Africa. Despite initial support for the plan and its alignment with United Nations recommendations, the RTMC has been silent on the matter.
In February 2022, the proposal was presented to the Portfolio Committee on Transport, suggesting a reduction of South Africa's 60km/h residential speed limit to 50km/h and highway speed limits to 110km/h. Simon Zwane, the RTMC's chief communication officer, stated that the proposed speed limit adjustments would align with recommendations made by the United Nations to decrease speeds by 10km/h in order to reduce road fatalities. Zwane explained to BusinessTech that this decision carries weight for South Africa as a UN roads council member, and the government favors the lower speed limits. However, he emphasized that authorities have yet to initiate a formal process to change the regulations.The RTMC's proposal would bring about the following changes to South Africa's speed limits: 60km/h on public roads within an urban area would be reduced to 50km/h; 100km/h on public roads outside an urban area, which is not a freeway, would be reduced to 90km/h; and 120km/h on every freeway would be reduced to 110km/h. Despite these proposed changes, road safety experts are divided. Rob Handfield-Jones, road safety expert and managing director of driving.co.Za, disagrees with the proposal. He recently told MyBroadband that there is no evidence linking speed prosecution to safer roads, and reducing speed limits will not necessarily result in fewer road fatalities. The publication reached out to the RTMC for an update on the proposed changes and whether they still plan to implement them, but they have yet to respond
SPEED LIMITS SOUTH AFRICA ROAD SAFETY RTMC UN RECOMMENDATIONS
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