Road safety 'results focus' - ready to launch?

The results of road safety interventions in South Africa are disappointing and the cost of road safety related casualties and damage and drain on public resources are possibly to the upper side of the typical range of 2 to 3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The paper presents a systems level overview of South Africa?s institutional orientation towards achieving road safety results by considering the institutional management functions of ?results focus?, coordination and legislation as proposed in the Road Safety Management System (RSMS) developed by Bliss and Breen (2009). These three functions, together with funding and resource allocation, promotion, monitoring and evaluation, and R&D and knowledge transfer, are the foundation of the RSMS. It is a strategic approach that sets specific road safety targets and the design and implementation of evidence-based and data-driven interventions and sustained efforts to achieve the desired focus on results by all road safety stakeholders and role players. The paper highlights the critical need for South Africa becoming more assertively ?results focus? on road safety. Strong strategic direction supported by effective and efficient coordination and collaborative structures is essential in order to address the status quo of road safety in South Africa. There is the indication that road safety-relevant legislation needs to be adapted to institutionalise ?results focus? in road safety governance structures. ISO 39001:2012, based on the RSMS of Bliss and Breen (2009), provides a relevant tool to achieve broad-based ?results focus? institutionalisation.Paper presented at the 35th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 4-7 July 2016 "Transport ? a catalyst for socio-economic growth and development opportunities to improve quality of life", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.The Minister of Transport, South AfricaTransportation Research Board of the US

Afrotropical Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) : description of the hitherto unknown male of C. walkeri Boorman, 1979 from South Africa

The genus Culicoides Latreille is represented by 160 described species in the Afrotropical Region; of these, approximately 10 % are plain-wing species, the wing lacking a distinctive pattern of pale and dark spots. This plain-wing sector includes C. walkeri Boorman which, till now, has been known only in the female, based on nine specimens fromKenya. The hitherto unknown male of C. walkeri is described here (and the female redescribed) based on material collected in South Africa since 1970. Culicoides walkeri can be distinguished from other plain-wing species in its pale ochreous colour, the robust shape of the male genitalia, and the sensilla coeloconica distribution which, uniquely, is the same in both sexes (occurring on flagellomeres 1–12). Though the feeding habits of C. walkeri are not known, its greatly inflated third palpal segment and the copious number of sensilla found on the flagellum, indicate it to be ornithophilic. Culicoides walkeri would appear to be confined to the frost-free savannas of the eastern length of Africa, from the equator southwards; its limited distribution in South Africa is mapped and shows that this uncommon species is confined to the Central Bushveld, the Lowveld and the Mopane bioregions. We propose that C. walkeri remain unplaced to subgenus.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/entohttp://www.entsocsa.co.za/Publications.htmam201

Assessment of the repellent effect of citronella and lemon eucalyptus oil against South African Culicoides species

The use of insect repellents to reduce the attack rate of Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) should form part of an integrated control programme to combat African horse sickness and other diseases transmitted by these blood-feeding midges. In the present study the repellent effects of a commercially available mosquito repellent, a combination of citronella and lemon eucalyptus oils, on Culicoides midges was determined. The number of midges collected with two 220 V Onderstepoort traps fitted with 8 W 23 cm white light tubes and baited with peel-stick patches, each containing 40 mg of active ingredient, was compared with that of two unbaited traps. Two trials were conducted and in each trial the four traps were rotated in two replicates of a 4 x 4 randomised Latin square design. Although more midges were collected in the baited traps, the mean number in the baited and unbaited traps was not significantly different. This mosquito repellent did not influence either the species composition or the physiological groups of Culicoides imicola Kieffer. The higher mean numbers in the baited traps, although not statistically significant, may indicate that this mosquito repellent might even attract Culicoides midges under certain conditions.http://www.jsava.co.zaam201

Indications of high levels of inattentive and distracted driving in South Africa

In 2015, the Road Traffic Management Corporation undertook a pilot study to investigate how prevalent driver inattention and distraction is in South Africa. Driver inattention and distraction is the leading factor in near-crashes in for instance the United States of America where indications are that 65 per cent of near-crashes involve some form of driver inattention within three seconds before an incident. This pilot project interrogated a small sample (non-representative) of naturalistic driving data collected from four drivers over a period of six months to explore whether or not South Africans are prone to distracted driving. Preliminary indications are that inattentive and/or distracted driving, including mobile phone use, distraction by passengers and other in-vehicle behaviours are indeed prevalent. In the majority of the data analysed, all drivers showed signs of general inattention and at least one type of distracted driving behaviour. The frequency with which these behaviours occur seems to be high, leading to the question whether inattentive driving has become the norm rather than the exception for South African drivers. The findings substantiate the need for a much larger study that could explore the problem on a national level.Paper presented at the 35th Annual Southern African Transport Conference 4-7 July 2016 "Transport ? a catalyst for socio-economic growth and development opportunities to improve quality of life", CSIR International Convention Centre, Pretoria, South Africa.The Minister of Transport, South AfricaTransportation Research Board of the US

The suitability of the Triple trap for the collection of South African livestock-associated Culicoides species

The relatively large number of Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) that can be collected with a light trap makes it the most widely used tool for this purpose. However, the majority of these traps were originally designed for collecting mosquitoes. The evaluation and improvement of traps to increase their effectiveness in collecting Culicoides midges will unavoidably form part of research on these insects. In the present study the efficiency of the Triple trap for collecting livestock-associated Culicoides midges was compared with that of the Onderstepoort 220 V, the BG-sentinel and the mini-CDC traps. A unique feature of the Triple trap is that selected surfaces are coated with TiO2 (titanium dioxide) which, in the presence of ultra violet light, acts as a photo-catalyser to produce CO2, which in turn may attract blood-feeding insects. Overall, the Onderstepoort trap collected significantly higher numbers of midges than the others. Relative efficiency varied between different occasions and under some conditions, for example periods with low midge abundance during the winter, the mean numbers collected with the Triple trap did not differ significantly from those of the Onderstepoort or BG-sentinel traps. By replacing the collection chamber of the Triple trap with a sock and beaker, similar to that of the Onderstepoort trap, it can effectively be used for the collection of Culicoides midges.The South African Equine Veterinary Association of the South African Veterinary Associationhttp://www.jsava.co.zaam2014ab201

Culicoides species abundance and potential overwintering of African horse sickness virus in the Onderstepoort area, Gauteng, South Africa

In South Africa, outbreaks of African horse sickness (AHS) occur in summer; no cases are reported in winter, from July to September. The AHS virus (AHSV) is transmitted almost exclusively by Culicoides midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), of which Culicoides imicola is considered to be the most important vector. The over-wintering mechanism of AHSV is unknown. In this study, more than 500 000 Culicoides midges belonging to at least 26 species were collected in 88 light traps at weekly intervals between July 2010 and September 2011 near horses in the Onderstepoort area of South Africa. The dominant species was C. imicola. Despite relatively low temperatures and frost, at least 17 species, including C. imicola, were collected throughout winter (June–August). Although the mean number of midges per night fell from > 50 000 (March) to < 100 (July and August), no midge-free periods were found. This study,using virus isolation on cell cultures and a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, confirmed low infection prevalence in field midges and that the detection of virus correlated to high numbers. Although no virus was detected during this winter period,continuous adult activity indicated that transmission can potentially occur. The absence of AHSV in the midges during winter can be ascribed to the relatively low numbers collected coupled to low infection prevalence, low virus replication rates and low virus titres in the potentially infected midges. Cases of AHS in susceptible animals are likely to start as soon as Culicoides populations reach a critical level

Possible over-wintering of bluetongue virus in Culicoides populations in the Onderstepoort area, Gauteng, South Africa

Several studies have demonstrated the ability of certain viruses to overwinter in arthropod vectors. The over-wintering mechanism of bluetongue virus (BTV) is unknown. One hypothesis is over-wintering within adult Culicoides midges (Diptera; Ceratopogonidae) that survive mild winters where temperatures seldom drop below 10 °C. The reduced activity of midges and the absence of outbreaks during winter may create the impression that the virus has disappeared from an area. Light traps were used in close association with horses to collect Culicoides midges from July 2010 to September 2011 in the Onderstepoort area, in Gauteng Province, South Africa. More than 500 000 Culicoides midges were collected from 88 collections and sorted to species level, revealing 26 different Culicoides species. Culicoides midges were present throughout the 15 month study. Nine Culicoides species potentially capable of transmitting BTV were present during the winter months. Midges were screened for the presence of BTV ribonucleic acid (RNA) with the aid of a real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. In total 91.2% of midge pools tested positive for BTV RNA. PCR results were compared with previous virus isolation results (VI) that demonstrated the presence of viruses in summer and autumn months. The results indicate that BTV-infected Culicoides vectors are present throughout the year in the study area. Viral RNA-positive midges were also found throughout the year with VI positive midge pools only in summer and early autumn. Midges that survive mild winter temperatures could therefore harbour BTV but with a decreased vector capacity. When the population size, biting rate and viral replication decrease, it could stop BTV transmission. Over-wintering of BTV in the Onderstepoort region could therefore result in re-emergence because of increased vector activity rather than reintroduction from outside the region