Drive More Safely

Drive More Safely is a NPO and centre for safer driving, promoting road safety and education

History
          
Drive More Safely was founded in 2009 in a bid to curb the high fatality rate on our roads through education, empowerment and training. Tommie Kloppers, son of the founder member, Alida Jones lost his life on the 24 February 1996 in a head-on collision with a drunken driver. This tore the family apart and the devastation had a massive impact on each family member.
          
To prevent more families go through this traumatic experience, Drive More Safely was born.
          
Focus Area and Nature of Activities
 
 Our focus areas are education, awareness and training. We at Drive More Safely strongly believe that with greater awareness and education the reduction of road fatalities could become reality and will influence the behaviour of our road users.
 
  1. Child in Traffic – Our program on pedestrian safety for 3 to 8 year olds. This program was featured on SABC 3 Expresso Breakfast Show. This training takes place every first Saturday of the month at our training facilities or by invitation from a school. Our equipment is mobile so we can come to you. Cost of the training is R20.00 per child. Child receives a certificate and a snack pack.
     
  2. Child safety in the Vehicle – a campaign addressing the high fatality rate amongst children due to the lack of child safety restraints in the vehicles. We also actively lobby for the urgent revising of the child safety law in the National road traffic act. This campaign asks for used child safety seats to be donated, we refurbish them and make them available to families for a small fee. To date, the campaign has given 2500 children the opportunity to survive a car crash by being safely strapped in. Wheel Well has taken over the campaign in Johannesburg and doing justice to this Drive More Safely baby. (This campaign was featured on Etv, Great Expectations)
     
  3. Take a Break – our driver fatigue campaign running during the festive season and Easter weekends along the N1 where we have a road camp manned by Drive More Safely staff, Provincial traffic officers, SAPS and Emergency Services. This provides a safe spot where motorists can pull off, take a break, receive a cup of tea or coffee, have their blood pressure checked, receive some road safety information and literature and child restraints should they need one. This camp also provides an opportunity to make sure the vehicle is road worthy, the driver and vehicle is licensed and that the driver is not suffering from fatigue. 
 
 
Other Achievements 
 
Drive More Safely  received a few accolades since the start:
 
  1. Winner Feb 2011 – Social Enterprise Business Plan Competition (Department Economic Development and Tourism WC) 
  2. Nomination – 2011 Shoprite/Checkers Woman of the Year (Education and Youth Development) 
  3. Hero of the Month October – Lead SA
  4. Member – Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP SA)
  5. Member – UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020
 
- Contact Details and Where the Public Can Find more information.
                
Phone:  081 311 3223
Fax:    086 540 2066