Following the recent international awareness month of driving while distracted (DWD), positive news from the City of Cape Town was shared. The City revealed that between July 2022 and June 2024, impoundments of cellphones reduced by 16%. Cellphone-related offences also dropped by 11.5%.

The City of Cape Town attributed 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 even more encouraging if the same decrease was seen throughout the country. This information is not readily available, however, making it difficult to obtain a precise understanding of where the country as a whole stands. 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.”

Several regulation changes expected to be implemented in 2025 may help bring about the behavioural change needed to reduce DWD throughout the country. “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.

“If drivers are repeatedly penalised for DWD offences, further action will be taken. They can be required to attend mandatory driving behaviour correction courses. This is a more proactive approach to changing driver behaviour than fining a driver and hoping that they will take the financial implications seriously enough to never do it again.”

The third Safety Survey conducted by USA publications, Heavy Duty Truck and Work Truck, found that 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 decrease reported by the City of Cape Town along with potential changes to regulations and strict organisational DWD policies will give 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.

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Media Contact:

Samantha Greathead

PRMaster

Tel: 0861 100 618

Cell: 076 592 2649

Email: samantha@prmaster.co.za

Web: www.prmaster.co.za

About MasterDrive

MasterDrive is a results-driven, driver training organisation that engages with and assists companies in managing driver risk interventions.

The company was established in 1999 and became part of the RAC Group (established in 1997) some 9 years later – in 2008 – and has expanded its field of operation to cover the African continent with dedicated branches in SA’s three main centres.

To that end MasterDrive has a dedicated team of professional, internationally accredited instructors who deliver training on a range of programs that encompass the full spectrum of vehicles – from motorbikes to cars to busses and trucks.

In addition to delivering internationally proven defensive driving courses the company also offers training required by legislation – dangerous goods and forklift – bespoke courses are also available to corporates and emergency services, all with a view to changing and developing driver behaviour.

The company’s proven track record with a number of SA’s top 500 companies ensures that it is a viable operation providing a platform for rolling out its own BBBEE transformation program that contributes toward the wellbeing of all South Africans.

MasterDrive also boasts a proud record of supporting a number of NPO’s whose drive is to educate road users on safety and so enhance the profile of changing behaviour by whatever reasonable means it can promote and offer. These include, but are not limited to, Psychometric assessments, on-road assessments and corporate safety events.

The MasterSuite of products include:

• MasterDrive
• MasterBiker
• MasterTrucker
• MasterFleet
• MasterDriver
• MasterTorque (online motoring publication)