THE festive season is upon us, and traffic volumes are expected to pick up across the country in the next few weeks.
This as schools and businesses close, and people make their way to their holiday destinations.
According to the Automobile Association (AA), this period is dangerous as increased traffic leads to increased crashes and fatalities.
In a statement, AA said traffic volumes were expected to pick up on major routes such as the N1 from Polokwane to Cape Town through Gauteng and Bloemfontein, N2 along the Indian Ocean coastline and N3 from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal, just to mention a few.
Statistics from the Road Traffic Management Corporation indicate that there were 1 395 fatal crashes and 1 808 fatalities during the festive period from 1 December 2021 to 11 January 2022.
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“South Africa has a massive road safety problem, and the government and its agencies responsible for road safety must do much more to improve this situation. Among the steps they need to take is to increase the number of traffic law enforcers across the country, improve road safety awareness and education campaigns, and ensure better prosecution of offenders,” AA said in a statement.
The association has further urged road users to focus on the road and obey all rules and regulations.
It shared the following tips to help keep travellers safe this festive season:
1. Keep left, pass right. This simple rule should be followed by all moving vehicles.
2. Ensure that everyone in the car is buckled up.
3. Do not drink and drive.
4. Always be visible if you are walking at night, especially in poorly lit areas.
5. Drive to the conditions of the road, not necessarily to the indicated speed limit.
“As always, the AA urges travellers to prepare themselves and their vehicles properly for any journey they will be making, and have the right attitude when on the road.”
