Safety on the Road to the Vacation Destination!

South Africans often travel long distances to their vacation destinations by car, whether it is over the Easter holiday period, the festive season or a long weekend. The roads get especially busy during these traditional holiday periods. Travelling long distances also takes a unique toll on drivers, which can impact road safety. So, we must be extra vigilant when travelling to our next vacation destination. This article does not contain every conceivable road safety tip. Nevertheless, it covers some of the basics. When in doubt, please refer to South Africa’s traffic laws.

Motorist behaviour

Long journeys could make motorists impatient. They may want to get to their holiday destinations as quickly as possible. Approximately 10% of car accidents result from non-driver related behaviour, which includes factors such as driving conditions and vehicle roadworthiness. The remaining 90% of car accidents are caused by motorists behaviour.¹ For example, road rage can cause drivers to behave recklessly on the road.

People often travel long distances and pass through quiet rural areas. Always obey all road signs and traffic lights, no matter how quiet a road or highway may be.

Speed limits should not be exceeded no matter how badly you want to arrive at your holiday destination. It simply isn’t worth the risk.

Remember that cars need space to stop^3,5

Driving too close to the vehicle in front of your car won’t result in you getting to your destination any faster. It is very dangerous. The vehicle in front of you may need to slow down suddenly, and your car may then crash into the back of that vehicle. This is often how accidents on the highway occur. It’s also best to let vehicles pass you if they are driving too closely behind your car to reduce the chances of vehicles crashing into the back of your car.

Stay alert^1,3

Generally speaking, the further you drive in one day, the more tired one becomes . Please make sure that you get enough sleep before you set off on your next long drive. Drinking alcohol during your trip may make you more sleepy amongst many other adverse side effects. Remember that even if you stop at a restaurant for a beer during your trip,itis illegal to drink while you drive. Take regular breaks during your road trip. Ideally, share the driving with another licenced and experienced driver. Please spend the night at a hotel if you are too tired to finish your journey.

Leave texting on your phone for later⁵

Long trips can be a bit boring sometimes. Distracting yourself while driving could cause you to have an accident. You might be tempted to play on your phone or send a text to someone. This is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. Stop your car in a safe manner and then send a text message to a person or dictate a text message for a passenger to type and send on your behalf. Also, it is best to make use of a hands-free kit or connect your phone to your car’s infotainment system when making or receiving calls while driving for the same reason.

Care for your car⁵

It is annoying to breakdown on the highway while on the way to your holiday destination. The risk of breakdowns can be reduced if your car is running as it should. A well-maintained roadworthy vehicle is safer to drive.

Seat belt usage saves lives⁶

Please buckle up before you drive. Seat belt usage is just as crucial for all passengers too. If you are travelling with a small child, ensure that you are using the right child seat and that it’s installed properly in the correct back seat. The fatality rate of an average car accident is reduced by approximately 45%.⁶

Enjoy your next holiday trip. Please stick to the rules of the road and make sure that you are alert while driving.

You may be planning your next holiday trip. Perhaps you are planning to get affordable car insurance as well? Maybe you could enquire about affordable car insurance with PMD?

Disclaimer:

This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.

Sources:

1 https://www.safety.com/interstate-safety-tips/

2 https://www.arrivealive.co.za/Defensive-Driving-and-Making-Roads-Safer