Johannesburg - In December we published some handy tips to help you get to your holiday destination in one piece, so in case you missed it or you need a refresh, here's our guide to surviving our country's dangerous and congested roads on your way back from your holiday.
GET THE CAR READY
Make sure your car is up to the task of getting you there safely and without breaking down.
THE REST FACTOR
Make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep the night before, and be sure to keep your mind fresh along the way by stopping every 200km or thereabouts. Plan the best stopping points before you even set off and you'll really impress as a seasoned road tripper.
Just remember that fatigue is one of the biggest killers on our roads. If you feel you are about to nod off, open the windows immediately and stop to stretch as soon as it's safe to do so.
HALFWAY HOLIDAY
Sure, you really want to get home as quickly as possible, and get that long journey and all the “are we there yet?” headaches over with. But a one-day journey, particularly if it's over 800km, will drain your concentration and you'll be tempted to take more chances to speed things up. Be smart and adventurous by booking accommodation halfway to your destination (or thereabouts) and have some fun exploring a new town.
DRIVE DURING THE DAY
While some prefer to do their long-distance travels at night because the roads are quieter, the stats show that driving at night is a lot more dangerous. This is due to the obvious significant decrease in visibility as well as diminished speed/distance judgement and the presence of drunk drivers. You might have to contend with more traffic, and summer heat, when driving during the day but it's still considered the safer and therefore 'brighter' option.
BUCKLE UP
Well, yes. Make sure that you and the entire family - yes - even those in back seats - are wearing seatbelts. Without these simple devices any other safety features your vehicle might have are basically useless. Also make sure that smaller children are strapped into correctly-fitted child seats.
CHOOSE THE SMART SPEED
Going too fast or too slow can significantly increase the risk of an accident. Go too slow and everyone will want to get past and many will take chances doing so, drive too quick and you won't be able to slow down in time if something goes wrong. Your safest bet is usually in the region of the speed limit. Also slow down when it rains as stopping distances will be longer and visibility is reduced. You'll also want to avoid any sudden braking or steering moves while the roads are slippery.
CAFEFUL AROUND SNAILS
So not everyone has the presence of mind or the voomah to drive at a reasonable speed so you'll inevitably end up overtaking more than just a few vehicles. But here's the number one rule of safe driving - never, ever overtake if you're not absolutely sure you'll get to the other side safely and always leave margin for error. You might feel all genius calculating that gap to the last second, but did you factor in what might happen if the engine suddenly loses power (a turbo blowing, for instance) or a tyre bursts? Better to arrive late than dead.
BE A KEEN OBSERVER
While it's easy to drift into auto-pilot mode, your observation skills will save your life if you have the discipline to closely watch the scene around you and identify potentially dangerous situations before they even become a threat.
ONLY DRIVE SOBER
This one should really go without saying, but with stats showing that booze is a factor in 58 percent of road fatalities in this country, we really can't emphasise this enough. Drinking too much the night before your road trip will also affect your ability to concentrate the following day.