The Ministry of Public Works and Transport has launched the Road Incident Management System (RIMS), a new framework aimed at strengthening emergency response and saving lives following road crashes across the country.
The system is designed to ensure that emergency response resources, including medical teams, traffic management personnel and rescue equipment, are mobilised within the first 60 minutes after a road incident is reported.
Speaking during the launch, Ministry Secretary Richard Phungwayo said the period immediately following a road incident could determine whether victims survive. 
“The minutes immediately following a road incident are not simply important—they are the difference between life and death,” Phungwayo said.
He said RIMS would bring together emergency response infrastructure, personnel and coordination mechanisms to ensure that they operate as one system rather than as separate entities.
The launch brought together regional road authorities and emergency management specialists, highlighting the importance of coordinated road safety efforts beyond national borders.
Among those in attendance were Mr. Patrick Mathebula of the Cross Border Road Transport Agency and Mr. Kwanele Simelane of the South Africa Roads Agency Limited.
The representatives emphasised the importance of integrated incident management across the Southern African region, particularly as road networks and cross-border transport continue to connect countries in the region.
At the centre of RIMS is the emergency medicine principle known as the “golden hour”, which recognises the critical importance of providing timely assistance to people involved in road incidents.
