Road Safety remains one of South Africa’s most pressing challenges in the industry. According to statistics published by The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) in 2022, 12 436 people lost their lives on South African roads, a fatality rate of 20.7 per 100 000 people. Pedestrians bore a disproportionate burden, accounting for roughly 43% of all road deaths in the same year, underscoring that road safety is a shared concern and responsibility.
Although in 2024, fatalities decreased to 10 154, as revealed by Minister Barbara Creecy during the 2024 Festive Season Road safety Campaign, South Africa’s persistent road fatalities point to deeper systemic factors, including law enforcement inefficiencies, road user education and behaviour, vehicle fitness and safety, and infrastructure which undermines road safety outcomes. The recently adopted Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) was introduced with the promise of improving discipline and accountability among motorists. However, in its current form, AARTO is unlikely to address underlying road safety challenges, and instead risks exacerbating inefficiencies, unfairly burdening motorists and further eroding public trust.
Why Existing Mechanisms Haven’t Delivered
Despite legislation and campaigns, South Africa’s roads remain perilous, with challenges including:
- Uneven enforcement: Inconsistent traffic policing (across the country);
- Poor Integration: Data systems across the country operate in silos;
- Procedural unfairness: Motorists’ rights to contest infractions not being safeguarded;
- Capacity & Infrastructure: Overburdened and unprepared Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) and affiliated systems; and
- Systemic Delays: Backlogs hampering fines, renewals, appeals and roadworthy inspections.
Limited Evidence of AARTO’s Effectiveness
Pilots conducted in Gauteng, including Johannesburg (in February 2009) and Tshwane (in July 2008), have not demonstrated a conclusive reduction in incidents and fatalities, resulting from AARTO implementation.
Other concerns include:
- Reports show that 80-90% of crashes stem from driver behaviour, however, efforts to change this through punitive measures alone have proven to be ineffective.
- Demerit points for fleet vehicles: Under AARTO demerits points can and may be assigned to the registered vehicle owner, potentially exposing fleet owners to penalties committed by their employees or contracted drivers.
- Many South Africans depend on driving for their livelihood. Licence suspensions without effective appeal, risk the livelihood of affected drivers.
Building a Culture of Safety, Not Fear
The AA believes that road safety must be reframed as a collective commitment. Motorists should not view compliance as an obligation to avoid punishment, but as a shared social responsibility, which protects every road user, strengthening and enhancing safety for all road users. The AARTO system is likely to impose additional financial burdens on motorists from penalties to appeal fees, without clear evidence that these expenses will translate into safer roads.
Whilst punitive measures have a role to play as a deterrent, road safety requires more than just that. A robust policy framework should rest on road user discipline, responsible behaviour and consistent education to cultivate a culture of awareness and accountability. Through frequent and transparent roadworthiness and mechanical inspections, the AA can act as a strategic partner, leveraging its expertise to provide technical guidance, operational capacity and industry credibility, helping ensure that vehicles on South African roads are safe and compliant.
The AA believes that a smarter and safer way forward begins with prevention. A true road safety mechanism requires a proactive, system-wide approach focused on improving efficiency, accountability and public trust. In practice, this means modernising traffic management systems, enhancing visible policing alongside automated enforcement and rolling out targeted data driven road user education campaigns. It also involves ensuring vehicle safety compliance through annual inspections and making impactful improvements to road infrastructure to protect vulnerable road users and encourage safer behaviour on roads.
Conclusion
A punitive demerit system like AARTO can only succeed when underpinned by robust, credible enforcement, reliable and functional systems, infrastructure, and public trust are firmly in place. Until then, any demerit-based approach simply punishes non-compliance rather than promoting accountability and presents itself as yet another revenue generation mechanism masquerading as a benevolent act.
“Road safety should not be limited to setting rules; but rather broadened to enforcing them consistently and fairly, while empowering everyday road users and promoting a culture of joint responsibility.” – Bobby Ramagwede, CEO: AA South Africa