Since it is international awareness month of driving while distracted (DWD), positive news from the City of Cape Town has been shared and that is that the City revealed that between July 2022 and June 2024, a implementation of impounding of cellphones has been reduced by 16%. Cellphone-related offences also dropped by 11.5%
The City of Cape Town displayed that this reduction to a combination of increased access to in-vehicle technology as well as greater compliance from drivers. The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says: “This decrease in cellphone usage while driving in the City of Cape is encouraging that change may be on the horizon.
It would be a great deal if the decrease of cellphone use whilst driving was adapted throughout the whole of South Africa. If one were to go on the information released by a South African insurer, it indicates that 60% of drivers still use their phones while driving, this figure is however not clear as it does not indicate specifically which regions are still victim to being distracted while driving. The information is not readily available and does not show precisely where the problem areas that need work are located.
Several regulation changes are expected to be implemented in 2025 which may help bring about a much needed behavioural change to help combat DWD throughout the country. CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says “The revised regulation will impose higher financial penalties on those caught using their phones while driving. It will also be expanded to include penalties for drivers using their phones while stationary at traffic lights.
In a Safety Survey conducted by USA publications they found that Heavy Duty Truck and Work Truck driver training is one of the five most effective strategies identified in successfully increasing road safety. Additionally, driver training is also essential to more effectively implementing other safety strategies, including anti-DWD strategies.
“The other strategies (vehicle maintenance, implementing written policies and procedures, strict hiring standards and creation of a safety culture) all rely on driver training in varying degrees to reach optimal effectiveness in creating safer roads.”
The reported decrease by the City of Cape Town along with potential changes to regulations and strict organisational DWD policies will strengthen the commitment to decreasing DWD the priority it needs. “We trust that these steps in the right direction will provide a more effective means of stopping further use of cellphones and, consequently, reduce distracted driving as well,” says Herbert.