Naturalistic driving studies in support of road safety research in South Africa

Abstract

Internationally, evidence-based research informs the actions and interventions that are successfully implemented in developed countries, aiming for a zero fatality rate. South African progress to reduce the number of fatal road crashes remains slow and traditional approaches to address road safety seems to be ineffective. There is a need for targeted road safety research that informs the design and implementation of road safety interventions. To promote a better understanding of the value that evidence-based road safety research plays in supporting the implementation of initiatives within the Road Traffic Safety Management System (RTSMS), CSIR Built Environment has for the past five years invested a portion of the parliamentary grant into the development of the naturalistic driving studies (NDS) methodology. NDS is a research approach that facilitates a better understanding of the contributory factors and interactions between the environment, human and vehicle. This research paper contributes baseline information regarding the development, application and value of NDS as a road safety research tool.