Durban - For most South Africans, the festive season means road-tripping to a holiday destination or driving to see family. There is a significant increase in traffic volumes as a result, as witnessed between December 18 and 19, 2020, when, despite lockdown conditions, each hour an average of 2 439 cars travelled on the N1 from Gauteng to Limpopo, and 1 547 vehicles on the N3 between Johannesburg and Durban.
This week, the South African Weather Service (Saws) reported that heavy rains and thunderstorms have been predicted in parts of the country for most of the festive season.
Saws said the wet weather in Gauteng will continue for a few more weeks – with a few sunny days in between – until the end of December.
Yesterday, IOL reported that most parts in Gauteng will continue to experience rain through the week, going into the weekend. However, some parts will have one or two sunny days in the week.
Weather forecaster Celeste Fourie said the rain will continue with some thundershowers, but no floods are expected.
"KwaZulu-Natal will also experience similar weather to that seen in Gauteng, but to a lesser extent. Some parts in the north of KZN may experience floods over the weekend. We are not ruling out the possibility of heavy rains during the festive season, so it’s best to stay vigilant," she warned.
Meanwhile, the Western Cape is expected to experience normal to above normal rainfall this festive season, which may spoil beachgoers’ plans.
The N3 Toll Concession is anticipating a large volume of traffic on the roads from tomorrow.
Hilary Muvirimi, an express truck driver at Africa Transport Solutions, advises South African road users on ways to navigate the festive traffic while safely sharing the road with trucks during one of the busiest times of the year, based on his more than a decade of experience behind the wheel.
Have rear reflectors when driving at night
Muvirimi advises drivers to avoid driving at night. He says if daytime driving isn’t an option, then motorists should make sure their vehicles have visible rear reflectors so other drivers can see them.
“So much can happen on our roads, but it becomes harder to react when driving at night due to low visibility. These conditions become even more dangerous when vehicles don’t have rear reflectors – making it more difficult to see that there’s a vehicle ahead,” says Muvirimi.
Know when to overtake
Some drivers exceed the speed limit to arrive at their destinations quicker, often disobeying road rules and dangerously overtaking other vehicles and massive trucks. Muvirimi advises motorists to ignore the urge to only overtake when it’s safe, especially on the long road. In addition, he says overtaking should not be done without considering what is happening in front of the vehicle ahead.
“Motorists must avoid reckless driving, like crossing double lines. Following these rules of the road saves lives,” adds Muvirimi.
Be aware of trucks on the road
According to Muvirimi, motorists must understand that not all truck drivers are experienced. Therefore, road users need to be mindful of driving around these enormous vehicles and exercise patience.
“People need to understand how trucks work – for example, a 22-metre truck requires two lanes to turn. I’ve seen cases where small vehicles are struck by trucks turning a corner or taking a bend because they don’t consider these factors and are in the truck driver’s blind spot. So people need to be extra vigilant around these big vehicles.”
According to Muvirimi, the roads are already becoming congested, and the additional traffic is making them more dangerous. Because of this, he calls on motorists to respect other road users, whether they are truck drivers or travelling in small vehicles.
IOL