DURBAN – Just when you thought you had seen it all, drivers shock us with their creativity in breaking South African’s road laws and while this may be seen as a means to an end for some, the modification of vehicles and blatant disregard for the law is a serious safety risk for road users.
A report by IOL in May stated that South Africa’s road deaths, which average 14 000 every yea,r are among the highest in the world and have been described as a national crisis by the AA.
From overloading, to illegal and unusual modifications, some motorists have taken their vehicles over the top.
In one incident, which was captured on videos that are circulating on social media, a stationary truck loaded high with goods topples over at the Lebombo border.
In one of the videos, an official is seen talking to the driver while onlookers watch as the tyres on the one side of the truck buckle under the weight of the cargo and it falls onto its side.
In another modification, seen in two different incidents, motorists drivers decided to use a trolley like contraptions with four small wheels in place of a single tyre.
In the first video a green VW Golf 1 travelling on a road at night with what looks like the bottom half of a shopping trolley in place of a back tyre.
A man in the passenger side of the car is also seen hanging out the window to monitor the trolley.
In the second video the driver of a white vehicle, with hazards on, pulls up to a traffic light with a board with four small wheels being used in place of a back tyre.
This is becoming a norm in South Africa.🙆 pic.twitter.com/1Q2GCSRF2u
— Du-boyz (@Duboyz3) December 7, 2021
While we have seen flashing lights and screens to watch music videos installed in some taxis, a minibus taxi owner has taken customer service to the extreme.
His taxi has a chest freezer mounted on the back, with the licence plate attached to it.
The taxi also has a satellite dish mounted to the roof of the taxi and music videos were being played on a television/screen inside the taxi.
With the festive season in full swing, the roads are expected to become congested as people leave for their vacations.
WesBank says it is important to prepare well for a trip, whether travelling for just a few hours or embarking on a long road trip with overnight stops.
To ensure both you and your vehicle are road-ready, WesBank has outlined some road safety tips to take note of before you set off:
1. Are you road-ready?
- It is important to plan your route. The use of online maps will assist you to plan stops and determine the safest and best route to take.
- Be sure to have some backup directions as a contingency. Print a copy of your route, save it for offline use, and share the location of your trip with a trusted person, for precautionary measures.
- Should you pass through toll gates, make sure you have sufficiently budgeted for these costs.
- Compile the perfect road trip playlist ahead of time. Scrolling through your phone to find your favourite artist or genre while driving is both dangerous and illegal.
- Have a few playlists downloaded when driving through a few areas without radio coverage or cell service.
2. Driving cross-border?
- Having a clear plan of where you and your loved ones are going and an itinerary for the trip is always top of the list.
- Driving across the border is not as simple as having a valid passport and driver’s license. Any driver who crosses the border in their car is required to have a certified copy of the vehicle’s registration (or license) papers. Drivers who own their cars can take their original registration documents to a Commissioner of Oaths to get a certified copy.
- Financed vehicles can only be taken out of the country with permission from the financing bank.
- Drivers who are not the registered owner of the vehicle they’re using will need all of the above documentation, plus two additional letters: a police affidavit and a letter of authority from the registered owner, granting permission for the vehicle to cross the border for the agreed timeframe.
- Drivers of rental vehicles must have a letter from the rental company giving full consent for the vehicle to be taken out of the country.
- Drivers should also contact their insurance companies to establish that their comprehensive policy covers cross-border travel. They may need to include details of the country they are travelling to. Failure to do so places the driver at risk of no cover should the vehicle be stolen or damaged outside of South Africa’s borders.
- Additionally, laws in that country might hold the driver financially liable for any damage caused.
3. Is your car road-ready?
- Tyres:
- Lights:
- Brakes:
- Battery:
- Wipers:
- Fluids:
THE MERCURY