I use this road about once a week, so I am very familiar with the road and intersection being referred to.
While I understand from the article that the lowering of the speed limit to 60km/h is only one of the measures to be introduced, I believe that this is a knee jerk reaction and don’t believe it will make any difference until something more radical is done.
Read Speed limit change causes friction in Kyalami
These are the reasons why I say this:
- The intersection is on a blind rise from both sides
- If motorists were obeying the 80km/h speed limit in the first place, there would be very few accidents, as it is absolutely possible to slow down and stop at the traffic light at this speed, even if you don’t know that there is a traffic light over the blind rise. So the main reason for accidents is that motorists are skipping the red traffic light or travelling at some ridiculous speed which does not allow them to stop in time when they see the traffic lights. Or they are intoxicated
- What makes anyone think that the lower speed limit is going to be obeyed by the reckless drivers that did not obey the 80km/h speed limit in the first place? The only way to ensure traffic rules are obeyed is to make them impossible to break.
My proposal is as follows:
- Put up very visible signage long before the intersection is reached. In other words at the beginning of the blind rise, on both sides
- Get rid of the traffic lights and build a traffic circle. No one can speed through traffic circles if they are built in the right way
- If necessary, speed humps can also be installed at the entrance to the traffic circle.
Unfortunately Gauteng authorities love to install traffic light at every intersection they can find.
In almost every case a traffic circle would be much more practical, for the following reasons:
- Motorists have to slow down to go through traffic circles, unlike traffic light which are very often simply skipped
- In the long term, traffic circles cost less than traffic lights. As example, traffic lights are continuously knocked down and broken by these same reckless drivers and the council has to repair them at the taxpayer’s cost
- With load shedding there are no frustrations and traffic jams due to the traffic lights not working
- In some overseas countries and in some RSA towns, traffic circles are used very successfully, even on big highways with speed limits of up to 100-120km/h
- They save fuel, as in most cases you do not have to stop completely to move into the circle
- Circles are less frustrating for motorists, as in most cases you only need to slow down and then carry on moving through the circle.
Finally, if the proposed measures are introduced on the Kyalami Main Road and are operational, there is no reason why the speed limit cannot be raised to 80km/h again to alleviate the frustration of travelling on a double highway at a ridiculous speed of 60km/h.
Many residents have expressed their concerns and suggestions over the drop in speed limit. Share your views by tweeting @Fourways_Review
Also read:
Speed limit drop in Kyalami questioned
Ward councillor explains speed limit drop on Main Road
