I have been driving here for a year now and notice many unsafe dealings on the road everyday, but a couple of things stand out. One is the lack of bike lanes or non motorized transport lanes. Two is how children and infants are commonly not buckled into a seatbelt or car seat.

I commend the City of Cape Town for its project involving Albert Road going into the Cape Town city centre. It acts as a main entry from the Southern Suburbs into the city. Many cycle organizations front project like this with the goal of providing both safe and accessible cycle lanes for everyone. It's no easy task, but it should be talked about.

Seeing children loose in a vehicle freaks me out. I admit, I come from Seattle where you wait until the light turns green to cross the street or you fear getting fined. We look like idiots standing there with no cars coming from each direction, but we know there is always a cop waiting to give you a ticket if you break the law. It is pretty basic to put a seatbelt into a vehicle or a booster seat. I understand this can be costly and maybe there isn't room, but I'm not sure if it's illegal or not to not have a child buckled in. Increasing awareness on this will reduce fatalities. Ejection from a vehicle is one of the most injurious events that can happen to a person in a crash, with 75% of all vehicle occupants ejected from a vehicle in a crash dying as a result. - See more at: www.arrivealive.co.za.

If you immigrate to or visit South Africa and plan to drive here, you will have to adjust your expectations regarding driving safety depending on where you come from. It can be a bit of an obstacle course. People will have kids jumping around the car, cyclists will seem too close for comfort, but give them room, and avoid pedestrians running in front of you.