1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: The road home over Easter weekend carries more than just traffic. 2 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 1: It actually carries expectation. People want to get to a 3 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: destination and get back again. It carries that connection between 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: people because you're going out there to visit family and 5 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: the hope of a safe return. And for many families, 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: it's about reunions, it's about shared meals, it's about time together. 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: But it's also one of the busiest and most dangerous 8 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: periods on South Africa's roads. As travel volumes increase, so 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: do the risks of people doing strange and funny things 10 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 1: on the road. This is where the call to make 11 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: the right choice becomes absolutely critical. A weird dot org 12 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: never Alone campaign is built on the idea that no 13 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: one travels in isolation. We all travel together. The road 14 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: is a shared surface and it's a shared space that 15 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: we have. Every decision made behind the wheel affects more 16 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: than just you as the driver. It impacts on your passengers, 17 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: is on impacts on other road users, and impacts on 18 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: families who are waiting at home. And this Easter the 19 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: campaign is being strengthened through a partnership with the Road 20 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: Traffic Management Corporation the RTMC and the focus is combined awareness, 21 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:21,279 Speaker 1: ed enforcement and education in order to save lives. Talking 22 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: to us the CEO of a Weird dot Org from 23 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 1: Johannesburg this morning, Moka Batulo, and very good morning to you, Mokeba, 24 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:30,199 Speaker 1: and welcome to the show. 25 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,480 Speaker 2: Good morning to you Zane, Good morning to the listeners, 26 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 2: and thank you for having us. 27 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: The road is a shared space and a lot of 28 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: people don't understand that it's not your road or my road, 29 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: it is our road and we need to be mindful 30 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: of other drivers in the room. Many people drive with 31 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: a very selfish attitude. What is the core message behind 32 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: a Weird dot Org never alone campaign this Easter? 33 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 2: So the never Alone Easter campaign. Our attempt is to 34 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 2: shift the merit of around specifically focused on drinking and driving, 35 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 2: but generally driving as a whole. The attitudes around driving 36 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 2: from this idea of you know, taking on individual risks 37 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 2: that I'm the only person that is either a harm 38 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: or not at harm to moving it into a space 39 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 2: of collective responsibility. So as thousands of people you know, 40 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:30,640 Speaker 2: get onto the road and travel to different destinations, we 41 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: are trying to imprint this idea that, as you said, 42 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 2: it's not just about you as the person behind the 43 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 2: wheel of the car that is driving. It is about 44 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,959 Speaker 2: everyone else on the road that is using the road, 45 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 2: not just in your proximity, because all of this has 46 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 2: a sort of domino effect. Whatever happens on the road 47 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 2: has a domino effect. And in addition to that, we'd 48 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 2: like to put the more human layer on it that 49 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 2: there is likely some one or people that you are 50 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 2: driving too, and those people are impacted by your actions 51 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 2: on the road too. 52 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: Why is Easter considered such a high risk period on 53 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: South African roads because it is a shorter period. You know, 54 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: holiday period over Christmas is kind of split over two 55 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 1: to three weeks and it makes it easier. But this 56 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 1: is a very sort of compact time. You leave on 57 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: Good Friday, or you leave the Thursday night before and 58 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: then everybody wants to rush back on Monday because they 59 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: need to be at work on Tuesday. 60 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think it is because there's a 61 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 2: lot more people on the roads, a lot more people 62 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 2: making use of the roads in a very small or 63 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 2: limited time period, and of course that then increases road 64 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 2: usage and therefore the risk that is on the roads. 65 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 2: So what we say is that you know the reality 66 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 2: is that South African roads are throughout the year affected 67 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 2: by road fatalities, road incidences, and crash time or peak 68 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: crush or incident time is generally Thursday to Sunday every week, 69 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 2: every week, I mean most Mondays. Well here on our 70 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 2: news reports that X amount of people have been unfortunately 71 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 2: arrested for drunken driving. But Easter is of course when 72 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 2: people are either traveling towards holiday destinations to their homes 73 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 2: or for religious reasons to go to, for example, praises 74 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 2: of worship such as Maria, and therefore the roads are 75 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,680 Speaker 2: much more congested, a lot more busy, a lot more 76 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 2: people on the roads using them. 77 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: Channing this morning to Aware dot org the Ceokevolo and 78 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: about the never alone campaign road safety of the Easter 79 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,600 Speaker 1: weekend and why making the right choices on the road 80 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: can actually save lives. While there's been a progress in 81 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 1: reducing road fatalities, the gains remain actually fragile, and one 82 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: poor decision can undo that progress in an instant. You 83 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: have a partnership with the RTMC to strengthen road safety efforts. 84 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: How does that partnership work and how does it unfold 85 00:05:16,440 --> 00:05:17,120 Speaker 1: on the roads? 86 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 2: Okay, so then we partner with a number of local metros, 87 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 2: so whether it be the GMPD twenty metro et cetera, 88 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 2: et cetera. On a local level, and then on a 89 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 2: national level, we partner with both the RTMC and on 90 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 2: some initiatives with the Department of the National Department of 91 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 2: Transport in order to get this message across in order 92 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 2: to assist in reducing the road fatalities. And so what 93 00:05:47,080 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 2: we do is we provide support by way of funding 94 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 2: that assists with various things empowering the metros to be 95 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 2: able to do their jobs. So for example, assisting with 96 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 2: the procurement of blood kids and other elements that are 97 00:06:06,320 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 2: needed in order to successfully complete roadblocks. So whether it 98 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 2: be blood kids, we are trying to advance the use 99 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 2: of EBAT machines, which are evidence blood alcohol testing machines 100 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 2: whose results are admissible in court, so you don't have 101 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 2: to wait for blood because we know that there's a 102 00:06:28,040 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 2: congestion problem in the system when it comes to blood tests. 103 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 2: We help with data capturers on the ground, for example, 104 00:06:37,839 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 2: so if somebody is in fact arrested for drunken driving, 105 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 2: all of that data is captured and stored in a 106 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 2: central repository digital repository, so that, for example, the file 107 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 2: doesn't grow legs somewhere in the system. So whatever means 108 00:06:55,320 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 2: of support the agency asks us for, we can in 109 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 2: there if it's related, of course, to making our road safer. 110 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: The campaign focuses on a shared responsibility. What does it 111 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 1: mean in practical terms? For drivers are on the road. 112 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 2: Shared responsibility means that we need to all be cognizant 113 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 2: of the fact that whatever actions we take are affecting 114 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:28,600 Speaker 2: other people. So, for example, if you look at the numbers, 115 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 2: we know that almost ninety percent of the incidences on 116 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 2: our road are caused by human error, and that means 117 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 2: things like speeding, like not using seat belts and helmets, 118 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 2: like using vehicles that are not roadworthy, like drinking and driving, 119 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 2: and therefore these are all things that are potentially one 120 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 2: hundred percent preventable. These are the decisions that the people 121 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 2: that get onto the roads, and so what we want 122 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 2: to get through to them is that instead of being 123 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 2: an autopilot and making these rational, irresponsible decisions, we want 124 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 2: to disrupt that lack of thinking and create in them 125 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 2: a sense of accountability not just for their own lives, 126 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 2: but for the lives of the other people that are 127 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 2: using the roads, and as I said, of course their 128 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 2: loved ones. I mean, if you look at it, a 129 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 2: lot of people that are using our roads are breadwinners. 130 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 2: They're going home towards their families. If somebody loses their 131 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 2: life or is affected, it has this major effect that 132 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:46,120 Speaker 2: could potentially be absolutely unforeseen. If you get stopped and 133 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 2: you get arrested, you may, for example, land up in jail, 134 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 2: which means that your job is affected. You're not able 135 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 2: to go back to it on Tuesday, you have to 136 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:58,080 Speaker 2: go to court, you get a criminal record that affects 137 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 2: your employability. There are so many consequences, not just for 138 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 2: you as the driver, but for the collective. So we'd 139 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 2: like to say to road users, you need to stop 140 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 2: for a second before the autopilot behavior of just getting 141 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:18,200 Speaker 2: behind the wheel and think about what you're doing. Think 142 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,319 Speaker 2: about the potential consequences. 143 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: Thereof one of the most most important decisions that people 144 00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: need to make. Because we have been fighting this mukaba 145 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 1: and being in traffic for so many years. The one 146 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,960 Speaker 1: thing that we have been fighting it's built on three things. Basically, 147 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: traffic is engineering, it is enforcement, it is education. But 148 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:47,960 Speaker 1: because you don't have enforcement on every single corner and 149 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 1: on every single road. It's impossible to have that. We 150 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: have been fighting with driver behavior because that's the key 151 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: thing that we need to change, isn't it. 152 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 2: Absolutely? And so so we are as Aware dot Org 153 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 2: in the business of changing behavior. So when we look 154 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:11,120 Speaker 2: at road safety, for example, we see that it has 155 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 2: four key areas really, so number one is awareness and 156 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,960 Speaker 2: the communication bit of it. So we creating education and 157 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:24,559 Speaker 2: awareness and that impacts the actions beforehand the driver behavior. 158 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:27,680 Speaker 2: Number two, we've got law enforcement on the ground, the 159 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:30,160 Speaker 2: feet on the ground, the boots on the grounds of visibility, 160 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 2: the road blocks that stops the people. Number three, we 161 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 2: then have enforcement and in the post enforcement bit, so prosecution. 162 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 2: So once people get prosecuted, what happens to them. We 163 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:49,239 Speaker 2: need the prosecution part to work in order for enforcement 164 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 2: to have any effect on the behavior. And then lastly, 165 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 2: we need the rehabilitation part of it to reintegrate people 166 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 2: into society, to teach them and to show them what 167 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:04,839 Speaker 2: they did wrong. And then the loop goes back. So 168 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 2: it's all about the behavior change. The behavior change needs 169 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 2: the awareness the education beforehand, but it takes all four 170 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 2: of these elements in order for there to be a 171 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:21,160 Speaker 2: real change, that is a visible change. But in saying 172 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:23,840 Speaker 2: all of this, I would like to commend the Department 173 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 2: of Transport in terms of the efforts towards the twenty 174 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 2: thirty goal of decreasing road incidents and fatalities by fifty 175 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:36,440 Speaker 2: percent by twenty thirty. I'm not sure that that goal 176 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 2: will be reached, but certainly efforts have been made in 177 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 2: that direction. But as you said, it's very easily something 178 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 2: that can be spins out and something that can move 179 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 2: in the wrong direction. And that's why we encourage the listeners. Individuals, 180 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,679 Speaker 2: anyone that's using the road, Will you be a driver, pedestrian, 181 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 2: whatever that the case is, to be accountable for your 182 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:05,520 Speaker 2: own life and for the lives of the other people 183 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 2: on the road. 184 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: Chatting this morning to the aware dot org CEO Mokbulo 185 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: more details on where people can find information on your 186 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:17,959 Speaker 1: organization quickly, mokbe. 187 00:12:18,040 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 2: Absolutely saying, please go onto our website Aware dot org 188 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 2: dot z A. The z A is very important. You 189 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 2: can find us on LinkedIn, you can find us on TikTok, 190 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 2: you can find us on Facebook, away ZA and yeah, 191 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 2: please do share our feedback on the do comments, do 192 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,439 Speaker 2: take part, be one of the people that is an 193 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 2: activist for road safety. 194 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:46,400 Speaker 1: Thanks very much, Mokbelo chatting to us this morning. Aware 195 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:47,719 Speaker 1: dot org CEO