Evaluating the effectiveness of law enforcement in promoting road safety in South Africa

Modipa MmakwenaORCID iD & Khangala TshilidziORCID iD 

Issue: Vol. 7 No.8 2026 Article 15 pp. 2389 – 2398
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267815 Published online 6th October 2026

© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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The inability of road traffic authorities to enforce the law consistently is a major problem in the road traffic environment. The prevalence of this problem contributes to a high rate of road traffic accidents. Road traffic authorities are critical for maintaining road safety by actively deterring dangerous driving and ensuring compliance with traffic regulations. If they are not up to standard, the country will continue to experience a high rate of road traffic accidents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of law enforcement in promoting road safety in South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and utilised a non-empirical research design. The research draws upon secondary data as its only basis. Key findings included poor adherence to road rules as well as inconsistent traffic law enforcement. The Results also indicated that road users are disregarding traffic regulations, leading to a higher incidence of vehicular collisions and lawlessness. Based on the findings of the study, the following were recommended: enforcement interventions should increase road users’ compliance with traffic laws, such as managing driver behaviour and monitoring pedestrian behaviour. Road traffic authorities are encouraged to apply the law uniformly, and enforcement models should include technological devices to increase compliance. This article contributes to the existing literature and synthesises prior findings to reveal blind spots, resolve contradictions, and apply existing frameworks to new contexts. It will also assist road traffic authorities and policymakers in managing and reducing the high rate of road traffic accidents in South Africa.

Keywords: Road safety, Law enforcement, Road users, Road traffic authorities, Resources.

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Dr. Mmakwena Modipa is a lecturer in the Department of Law, Safety and Security Management under the Faculty of Humanities at the Tshwane University of Technology. He holds a Doctoral degree in Policing from the Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa. His research interests focus on road safety and law enforcement.

Tshilidzi Knowles Khangala is a Lecturer and program coordinator at the Tshwane University of Technology, an admitted Advocate of the High Court of South Africa, a Mediator affiliated with Mediators in Motion (MiM), and a Supervisor at the TUT Law Clinic. He has more than 16 years of teaching experience at various institutions of higher learning. He previously served as a Deputy Director in the South African Government for six years. He holds an LLB and an LLM (Human Rights Law) from the University of Venda, a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration from the University of South Africa (UNISA), and a Doctor of Laws (LLD) in Comparative Constitutional Law from the University of the Western Cape. He has presented papers at national and international conferences and has published numerous articles in accredited academic journals and book chapters. He has also co-authored an academic textbook prescribed for the Criminal Procedural Law module at several South African universities.

Mmakwena, Modipa, and Khangala Tshilidzi. “Evaluating the effectiveness of law enforcement in promoting road safety in South Africa.” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 7, no.8 (2026): 2389 – 2398. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20267815

© 2026 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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