Motoring

Can you see them?

The #ISeeYou campaign, launched in 2017, has just received a boost. The AA, with the support of the FIA Region I, has distributed another 10 000 high visibility sashes to commuters at various taxi ranks in Gauteng.

The funding for this came from the FIA and its member clubs. “FIA Region I is extremely proud of this initiative, which shows how much our network can make a concrete contribution to road safety in South Africa and beyond. These small steps, put together, make a difference!” said Laurianne Krid, director general of FIA Region I.

StatsSA’s National Household Travel Survey 2020 shows that 17.4 million South Africans walk to where they need to go. Ten million learners walk to school, which means we have some 27 million pedestrians on our roads every day. The visibility of these people has thus become of critical concern. Wearing a sash will improve visibility and hopefully decrease pedestrian accidents on the roads.

“Up to 40% of all road deaths on South African roads annually are pedestrians and we consider initiatives such as the #ISeeYou campaign critical to improving road safety, and to reduce these horrific numbers. In addition to highlighting the need for greater pedestrian visibility, the campaign also seeks to drive increased mutual respect between motorists and pedestrians, hence the name of the campaign: I See You,” said Willem Groenewald, CEO of the AA.

“Another big danger for pedestrians – especially those who walk on dimly lit or unlit roads – is that they are ‘invisible to motorists who may only see them when it’s too late to avoid hitting them. Our message to pedestrians is clear: making yourself more visible could save your life,” he said.

The #ISeeYou campaign is also being run in Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Kenya and Rwanda. In addition to the ‘live’ activations at taxi ranks, the #ISeeYou campaign features print, radio and television advertising to re-enforce the high visibility messaging.

Should you wish to contribute to this campaign, visit www.aa.co.za.

Source and photos: AA

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Matthys Ferreira

Served in SAPS for 22 years - specialised in forensic and crime scene investigation and forensic photography. A stint in photographic sales and management followed. Been the motoring editor at Lowveld Media since 2007. "A petrol head I am not but I am good at what I do".

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