It also belongs at the centre of everyday conversations because road safety is fundamentally local. Nearly half (45%) of all road fatalities in South Africa are pedestrians – one of the highest proportions in the world, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s 2025 State of Road Safety Report. Road traffic deaths have declined globally despite increasing populations, growing urbanisation and rising numbers of vehicles. Road traffic crashes still claimed an estimated 1.16 million lives in 2025, making road traffic injuries the leading cause of death among children and young people aged 5-29 years. The Road Traffic Management Corporation was established to coordinate South Africa’s fragmented road traffic system, strengthen enforcement, generate the evidence needed for action and lead a national effort to make roads safer.