The importance of Safety and maintaining the SWIFT CIRCLE
Swift Transport has sponsored the maintenance and upkeep of the traffic circle along Simon Mazorodze Road and Harare Drive since 2014. In 2020 the company renewed its contract with the City of Harare and embarked on an upgrade programme. Swift spent two months working hard to refurbish the circle completing the work in October. The work centred around how the circle would look and also replacing all the safety signs and chevrons to ensure that the bustling intersection remained user friendly for all vehicles.
The project was designed to ensure that there was no obstruction to traffic and minimum maintenance would be required to keep it looking good. The centrepiece is our big, beautiful, elephant, proudly representing our corporate colours and holding the Swift logo high in his trunk. "From envelopes to elephants, Just Swift It".
Circles are designed to promote a continuous flow of traffic safely at intersections. Unlike intersections with traffic lights, drivers don't have to sit and wait for a light to turn green at a circle to proceed through the intersection, they have to give way to traffic entering from the right. In most instances, traffic is not required to stop – only to yield – so the intersection can handle more traffic in the same amount of time.
Numerous studies have shown that circles are safer than traffic lights. Drivers need to slow down and think as they approach circles, as opposed to trying to speed and beat a red light. Overall, circles have shown to achieve a 37 % reduction in accidents as opposed to traffic lights.
Circles are safer than traditional traffic light controlled intersections for one main reason: there are fewer conflict points which greatly reduces the potential for collisions. What's more, their particular design, with one-way traffic and angled entry lanes, reduces the chance of dangerous T-bone or head-on collisions to zero. Circles also have a slowing effect, forcing drivers to reduce speed and brake as they navigate around the central island and eliminate the impulse to speed up and beat a traffic light. Circles may also improve traffic flow.
Swift turns 75 in 2021 and is looking forward to getting involved in more community projects during the year.