The CSIR Transport Safety Laboratory (TSL) plays a critical role in promoting the safe and efficient movement of people and goods across South Africa. The Lab focuses on key aspects of transportation, including human factors, road infrastructure safety, traffic engineering, and vehicle safety technologies. A major challenge lies in the limited understanding of human factors that contribute significantly to road accidents. Despite their role in road carnage, human factors remain under-researched due to the absence of a robust national database on transport user behaviour.

The CSIR is uniquely positioned to address these gaps, offering a comprehensive approach to transport safety research that aligns with national goals to establish South Africa as a global leader in safe, reliable and efficient transportation solutions. Currently, the TSL prioritises road safety concerns, particularly in public and freight transport.

A Holistic Approach to Transport Safety

The TSL adopts a Safe System Approach (SSA), a global framework for road safety that acknowledges the inevitability of human error while designing transport systems that prevent those errors from leading to serious injuries or fatalities. Our work spans various aspects of road safety, including:

• Human Factors in Road Safety - Understanding driver behaviour, decision-making processes, distractions, and fatigue that contribute to road accidents.
• Road Infrastructure Safety - Improving the design, maintenance, and effectiveness of infrastructure such as intersections, barriers, guardrails, and safe pedestrian crossings.
• Traffic Engineering - Utilising traffic engineering to enhance intersection design, improve signal management, and reduce congestion, which contributes to road accidents, and evaluate interventions in a controlled environment.
• Vehicle Safety Technologies - Researching advanced vehicle technologies, including autonomous driving systems, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and evaluating the safety features of vehicles in the South African context.

 Advanced Tools and Capabilities

The TSL is equipped with cutting-edge technology, including a DriveLab and a driving simulator, to perform road safety assessments. The vehicle is equipped with eye-tracking and video technology and allows the team to conduct Naturalistic Driving Studies (NDS) on real-world roads, gathering critical data on road conditions, signage and other factors that influence driver behaviour and safety. The AV Simulation SIMFLEX driving simulator enables our team to recreate various road conditions in a controlled environment. By simulating different weather scenarios, road hazards, and signage, we can test driver responses and improve road safety strategies. This technology also plays a critical role in evaluating emerging vehicle technologies like autonomous vehicles and ADAS. The Lab has also invested in crash test dummies that are equipped with sensors and has participated in crash test studies to evaluate the effectiveness of road restraint systems and vehicle safety features. The data provides valuable insights into the performance of these systems, particularly in protecting road users.

These advanced tools provide the TSL with a holistic approach to research, combining real-world testing with simulated environments to develop effective interventions aimed at reducing road fatalities and improving transport safety.
 

Industry partnerships, case studies and success stories

May 2024: CSIR Smart Mobility investigates fluorescent yellow/green signage for enhancing driver perception

In May 2024, the CSIR Smart Mobility team conducted a study to test the effectiveness of fluorescent yellow/green road signage in improving road safety. Conducted on the CSIR’s Pretoria campus, this study used real-world environments to evaluate the effectiveness of such signage, particularly for reduced visibility and hazardous conditions. This pilot study was undertaken in collaboration with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the South African Road Traffic Safety Management Association (SARTSMA).
 

Crash test study in road restraint systems

The CSIR participated in a crash test study in KwaZulu-Natal in February 2024, aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of road restraint systems. Using the instrumented vehicle, the TSL team gathered data on the impact of crashes involving both a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and a motorcycle. The data provided valuable insights into the performance of road restraint systems in protecting vulnerable road users, with the goal of informing future road safety improvements.