Editorial: Vulnerable road users

Collisions between pedestrians and road vehicles present a major public health challenge. In South Africa, the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMSS) revealed that in 2001, 27% of all injury deaths were transport-related and 94% of those deaths occurred on our roads. The large number of pedestrian fatalities, which accounted for just over half of all deaths where the road user category was specified (i.e. drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists), was a significant contributor to a road death rate that was double the world rate. Despite this, road planning and traffic safety have focused predominantly on cars and the needs of car owners, at the expense of public transport, non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians.