Car Insurance advice for cheaper car insurance in South Africa

Live testing of e-toll transactions for Gauteng road users to start tomorrow

Gauteng-Open-Road-Tolling

Road users in Johannesburg will soon have to pay more on their transportation costs. Despite efforts to challenge the Gauteng e-toll system it is merely a matter of how much we will pay and when the system is about to start. It appears that Sanral is getting all the back-office systems and technology in place and will start testing the transaction system tomorrow. Technology information portal ITWeb reports as follows:

“Large-scale live testing of e-toll transactions for Gauteng road users, who have chosen the e-tag account option, will start tomorrow.

The SA National Roads Agency (Sanral) says drivers who have registered for Gauteng e-tolling and fitted an e-tag to their vehicle are advised that their e-tags will start beeping as they pass underneath toll gantries on the Gauteng e-road network.

“The test will be run in phases, which means not all toll gantries will be switched on simultaneously.”

No deductions

The agency emphasises that during this test phase no funds will be deducted from road users’ accounts.

“A single beep will be produced by the e-tag as an indication that e-toll transactions for that particular user would be successfully processed. If a road user has registered for Gauteng e-tolling and fitted an e-tag to their vehicle and hears more than one beep or no beep at all from their e-tag when passing beneath a gantry, they should contact the e-toll call centre on 0800 Sanral (726 725) or visit an e-toll customer service outlet as this could be an indication of a problem with their e-toll account, or the fitment of the e-tag.”

The same e-tag beeping sequences will occur when registered Gauteng e-road users drive on the Bakwena toll road north of Pretoria. The beeping on the Bakwena toll road is also part of this test phase, meaning the road users’ accounts are not yet active and no funds will be deducted, according to Sanral.

Meaningful beeps

It adds that when the system becomes operational on 30 April, three types of beeping will be produced by the e-tag.

The first is the single beep that indicates the transaction was successful. The second is a double beep that alerts the road user that the funds in their e-toll account are low and need to be topped up. The e-tag will also give off four beeps or no beep at all when a transaction is not successful.

“Road users are reminded that the e-tag is optional and also entitles them to various discounts on their toll tariffs including the 48% e-tag discount. Frequent user discounts and the R550 monthly toll fee cap will also be available to motorcycles and light motor vehicles fitted with an e-tag.

“In addition to all the efforts that have been made to lessen the impact of the toll tariffs on road users, Sanral will ensure the testing phase is non-disruptive to road users.”

[Story by Farzana Rasool appeared on ITWeb]

Also view:

SAVRALA contests claimed eTOLL benefits and calls for Independant Economic study

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Road Traffic Update on Sanral Draft Regulations & Workshop Info

did_you_know782 Draft regulations were published in terms of the South African National Roads Agency and National Roads Act, 1998 in Gazette 35182 of 27 March 2012.

The draft regulations are published for comment and may be submitted before 16 April 2012.

The provisions in the draft regulations basically copy the provisions that are already contained in the National Road Traffic Act, 1996 pertaining to the powers of traffic officers and the presumption of use of a motor vehicle by the owner. Section 17(5) of the AARTO Act is also copied that creates an offence if an owner does not collect details on the driver of the vehicle. There are also powers for authorised employees relating to toll road use.

Regards

Alta

Also view: Justice Project SA describes Sanral draft regulations on eTags as ridiculous

PLEASE NOTE:

OUR ANNUAL ROAD TRANSPORT LEGISLATION WORKSHOP 2012 WILL BE:

22 May in Stellenbosch, 24 May in Durban, and 5 June in Pretoria

OUR SPEAKERS

ALTA SWANEPOEL - Traffic and Transport Consultant (Alta Swanepoel & Associates)

Topic: Alta will give an update on the National Road Traffic Legislation, transport developments, overloading legislation and other draft amendments and will provide a follow-up discussion on AARTO and the RTIA presentation.

MAX BRAUN - Independent Transport Management, Distribution & Logistics Consultant (MB Consulting Services)

Topic: Rising Challenges for Road Transport cannot be ignored. While economic and political events cannot be reliably or accurately predicted all aspects of the vital road transport industry need to identify and define the road ahead for road freight transport costs and performance.

RTIA DELEGATE – Mr Japh Chuwe, the Registrar of the RTIA or his delegated representative

Topic: The Road Traffic Infringement Agency is the statutory body that is responsible for the AARTO system. They will be discussing: The amendments to the AARTO legislation and the further implementation of the system.

If you wish to register please visit our Website www.altaswanepoel.co.za or contact our offices via e-mail

* Our next PROXY and NRTA Information session will be on 12 April 2012 (R2 500 pp)

Courses will be at our offices in Waverley, Pretoria. Course documentation will be supplied. Contact our office to register.

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The Traffic Officer who came well prepared to Traffic Court

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A police motorcycle police officer stops a driver for shooting through a red light. The driver is a real bar steward, steps out of his car and comes striding toward the officer, demanding to know why he is being harassed by the Gestapo!

So the officer calmly tells him of the red light violation. The motorist instantly goes on a tirade, questioning the officer’s ancestry, sexual orientation, etc., in rather explicit offensive terms.

The tirade goes on without the officer saying a dickybird.

When the officer finishes writing the ticket he puts an “AH” in the lower right corner of the narrative portion of the ticket. He then hands it to The ‘violator’ for his signature. The bloke signs the ticket angrily, and when presented with his copy points to the “AH” and demands to know what it stands for.

The officer says, “That’s so when we go to court, I’ll remember that you’re an arsehole!”

Two months later they’re in court. The ‘violator’ has a bad driving record and he has a heap of demerits and is in danger of losing his license, so he hired a lawyer to represent him.

On the stand the officer testifies to seeing the man run through the red light.

Under cross examination the defence lawyer asks; “Officer is this a reasonable facsimile of the ticket that you issued to my client?”

Officer responds, “Yes, sir, that is the defendant’s copy, his signature and mine, same number at the top.”

Lawyer: “Officer, is there any particular marking or notation on this ticket you don’t normally make?”

“Yes, sir, in the lower right corner of the narrative there is an “AH,” underlined.”

“What does the “AH” stand for, officer?”

“Aggressive and hostile, Sir.”

“Aggressive and hostile?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Officer, are you sure it doesn’t stand for arsehole?”

“Well, sir, you know your client better than I do.”

[How often can one get a solicitor to convict his own client?]

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Lucky escape as V8 Land-Cruiser in Saudi falls down a 60m well

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A regular visitor to the Arrive Alive website emailed a story of a lucky escape which we would also like to share with our readers:

“You’d think that they’d at least put up a flag to let people know there’s a 100 mt hole there. This happened in Saudi.

In areas where there is fresh water under ground the locals dig wells and support the sides with concrete and stones to keep the sand from falling back in to the well. Some of these are up to 100 meters deep.

This particular one was 60 meters deep and 4 meters wide, located Outside the small town of Riyadh in the center of Saudi.

The guys went out in the desert for a bit of 4X4 fun on a Thursday when one of them drove in to the well and dropped 60 meters to the bottom with his
V8 Cruiser.

Rescue workers retrieved the car and the driver had a mild concussion from hitting his head against the wind screen.

Hard to believe he is alive…”
SnipImage

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Protect yourself when on driving on safari Out-In Africa

“Guide to safety and driving on safari / driving in the nature reserve”

Road Safety for foreigners travelling in South Africa

4×4 Vehicle Safety and Driving off-road

High performance shock absorber could reduce accident risk for 4×4 vehicles

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Transport Minister cautions drivers to also focus on vehicle fitness!

easter_tips Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has urged road users to exercise caution on the country’s roads over the Easter holidays.

“We will focus on driver and vehicle fitness, wearing of seatbelts at all times, drinking and driving, fatigue, and pedestrian safety,” he said in a statement on Friday.

“We have also issued an instruction that every driver stopped must be tested for alcohol.”

Heavy traffic was expected from this weekend, with the closure of inland schools on Friday.

Ndebele urged motorists to drive with headlights on at all times and to obey the rules of the road.

As part of Easter law enforcement operations, more than 34 passenger buses were removed from the roads over the past two days after being declared unroadworthy.

More than 750 000 vehicles and drivers were checked in the past three weeks, and thousands of fines were issued for various traffic offences, Ndebele said.

- SAPA

Click to download the Road Safety Easter Tips 2012 PDF

For Road Safety Tips in Afrikaans also read:

Padveiligheid op die pad na die KKNK en vir die Paasnaweek

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Slip of the foot and car plunges down embankment on Johannesburg highway

A woman’s car on Thursday landed nose-first on the N1 in Beyers Naude after she lost control of the car.

She was in a Johannesburg car dealership to trade in her Mercedes for a new BMW.

She got in her Mercedes outside the shop’s parking lot, and her foot got stuck on the accelerator.

She drove through the parking lot, and down the embankment.

Her car landed, nose-first, on the highway off-ramp.

She was not injured.

[Info from Eyewitness News]

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Parking and Car Insurance

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Road Safety tips offered by the Imperial I-Pledge Campaign

IPledge combined

The first quarter of 2012 has zoomed by and many people will soon be embarking on road trips to various holiday destinations. Unfortunately we don’t put as much forward-thinking and planning into our vehicles and journeys as we do into our suitcases.

The IMPERIAL I-Pledge road safety campaign has the following advice for holiday-makers and road users.

The IMPERIAL I-Pledge Top Ten Tips for Safer, Friendlier Roads

Take the I-Pledge for safer, friendlier roads at www.ipledge.co.za.
Make sure your car is in good condition at least two weeks before your holiday. Check the condition and inflation of your tyres, the valve caps, brakes and windscreen and wiper blades. Check your headlights, indicators and brake lights. If something is not working, get it fixed before you leave.
Wear your seatbelts for the entire journey. This should be a non-negotiable, especially with babies and children as they are at higher risk in the event of a collision. Make sure the restraints are appropriate for the child’s age. If an unrestrained child of 10kgs (for example, a mother holding a baby in her arms or a child standing on the backseat) is involved in a crash at 40km/h, the child would exert a force of 300kg. This will most likely be fatal or cause serious and permanent injury.
Do not speed and always maintain a safe following distance of at least three seconds.
Be visible – day and night – by driving with your headlights on. If you are walking or cycling, wear bright and reflective clothing.
Don’t drink and drive, at all. It’s just not worth it. Appoint a designated driver or make use of a taxi service.
Do not overload your vehicles – neither with luggage nor passengers. The number of seatbelts in a vehicle is a good indicator of how many people should be in your car.
Avoid being distracted by your phone, changing the radio or speaking to passengers. Focus on the task at hand: driving safely. For every second we take our eyes and minds off the road, we lose one second in our average reaction and stopping time.
Fight fatigue and take a break – every two hours or 200km.
Adjust your driving to changing weather or light conditions, road conditions such as hills and bends and busy pedestrian areas. Do not overtake on blind rises or corners.

Follow @IPledgeZA on Twitter or find them on Facebook.

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BMW recall affects 11,780 vehicles in South Africa

recall Yesterday we revealed that BMW has announced a worldwide recall in a post titled BMW recalls 1.3 million cars worldwide to check battery cable covers. But how does this affect South African vehicle owners?

We would like to share a media release found on Moneyweb via I-Net Bridge:

BMW SA says it is recalling 11,780 cars in SA as part of the group’s worldwide measure to carry out repairs.

The models in question include all 5 and 6 Series models built from March 2003 to September 2010, which means all previous generation BMW 5 Series Sedans, BMW M5 Sedans and BMW M5 Touring models, the luxury car manufacturer said in a statement.

All previous generation BMW 6 Series Coupes, Convertibles and BMW M6 Coupes and BMW M6 Convertibles are included in the recall as well.

“Vehicle owners will be notified in writing, requesting them to bring the vehicle to their respective dealership where the repair will be done at no cost to the customer. This repair should not take longer than 30 minutes,” said BMWSA spokesperson, Guy Kilfoil.

In certain cases, the battery cable cover inside the boot of these vehicles may be incorrectly mounted. This could result in an electrical system malfunction, the vehicle failing to start and, in very rare circumstances, the charring of the cables or fire.

BMW said it was not aware of any accidents or injury to persons as a result of this fault, which was brought to light by its internal quality control measures.

Also view:

Alarming number of vehicle owners not responding to vehicle recalls

Also view on vehicle recalls, insurance and road safety the following:

Alarming number of vehicle owners not responding to vehicle recalls

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BMW recalls 1.3 million cars worldwide to check battery cable covers

recall BMW AG, the world’s largest premium carmaker, is recalling about 1.3 million cars for repair worldwide due to a possible problem with a battery cable cover in the trunk, the carmaker said on Monday.

The recall affects 5- and 6-Series BMWs built between 2003 and 2010, BMW said in a statement.

“In some remote cases, the battery cable cover inside the boot of these vehicles may be incorrectly mounted,” it said.

“This can result in the electrical system malfunctioning, the vehicle failing to start and, in some cases, to charring or fire,” the company said, adding it was not aware of any accidents or injuries to people due to the problem.

BMW said it was writing to car owners. The repair procedure in a BMW partner workshop would take about 30 minutes and would be free of charge to customers, it added.

The recall affects about 367,000 cars in the United States and about 290,000 cars in Germany, BMW said.

In some European countries, the trunk is called the car’s boot.

[Reuters]

Also view:

Alarming number of vehicle owners not responding to vehicle recalls

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What do you do if you get a traffic fine for someone else’s car driving around with your number plates on?!

The Arrive Alive website received a very interesting email from a vehicle owners who was shocked to find that her number plate appeared on another vehicle driven in another province in breach of the road traffic legislation!

Legally Registered Toyota Yaris

Traffic Fine Received:

Fine for VW Minibus driving with same registration

We referrred this to the vehicle licensing specialists and received the following response:

Response:

The person has to write an affidavit to the state prosecutor stating that the vehicle in question and the ticket may be cancelled. In case the person does not want the licence number anymore, they can apply to the Province and be issued with a different licence number.

Hopeful that the information provided answers the question asked.

Conclusion:

Unfortunately there is no way other than to contact the state prosecutor to clean the mess caused by fraudulent road users. This leads to frustration on the part of the innocent road user as well as anxiety with regards to the fact that someone may be piling up traffic fines for which you may have to answer. Even though the road user is innocent and can explain that it is not his vehicle, there is an additional anxiety as to whether the traffic police stopping vehicles at road blocks will be as understanding!

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