Betzi Pierce
CAPE TOWN - During the festive season last year, 1 448 people died on our roads, with an average of roughly 14 000 people losing their lives on our roads each year.
It's clear that there is a critical need for intervention.
We call on the government to partner with us in extending our effective interventions to the broader society, where more drivers can benefit from them.
While the current measures, such as visible traffic policing, are important, they are evidently not making an impact on the number of lives lost on our roads.
If we are serious about addressing this issue, steps need to be taken toward improving driver behaviour.
Nicro deals with the high risk and criminal behaviour on the part of offenders, which is at the heart of what makes our society unsafe.
Through our intensive interventions that are aimed at changing the behaviour of the offenders, we address the root causes of their behaviour, aiming to resolve it.
This approach is also taken when it comes to the programmes that are geared towards road offenders.
Our award-winning road offences programmes have a proven track record of improving driver behaviour.
Some 97% of participants who have gone through Nicro’s road offences’ programmes, namely shifting gears, and taking the high road, don't re-offend within five years of having taken part in the programme.
These success rates are so compelling that they recently earned an award following their positive impact, which extends beyond the driver's seat.
Many of those who have gone through our programmes have shown improved behaviour in other areas of their lives as well.
We interview the families and colleagues of our participants, who routinely report positive changes in behaviour on the part of those who attend our programmes. This is a very encouraging outcome, albeit an unintended one.
Pierce is the chief executive of Nicro
Cape Times