It is that time of the year again when South Africans are getting ready for their long-awaited holiday to relax on the beach or enjoy a staycation. While road trips bring excitement, preparing for the journey can be very stressful and time-consuming. There’s a lot that goes into preparing for the holiday season; from ensuring that your vehicle is road-ready to taking the journey down the long road.
Annually, thousands of vehicles embark on travels to different destinations, causing extreme traffic congestion and accidents. While some may spend their time at home, this does not exempt them from being cautious.
This is why you should educate yourself on the best practices and take proactive measures to make sure you stay safe on the road. Let’s discuss how to stay safe on your journey and what you can do to prevent holiday accidents.
The holiday period is an exciting time for holidaymakers. It’s a time filled with joy and laughter. To keep the joyful energy going, it is important to stay mindful of potential challenges that may arise. Here are the different ways to avoid risks when driving during the holiday season.
It’s very easy to get distracted when driving due to influences such as conversations with passengers, changing music on your radio, and eating. These factors contribute to you not paying much attention to the road, which could cause you to bump into the back of another vehicle. Additionally, you could have excited children in the car with you causing a commotion. This could result in you not noticing reckless driving around you that could be a risk to your safety.
Another risk is cellphone use, which is one of the biggest contributors to distraction on the road. In fact, according to Accident Angels, 25% of accidents are linked to motorists using their phones and not concentrating.
Many things are fighting for your attention; like messages and new posts from your favourite social media apps. The excitement from this can cause a driver to quickly lose focus. To avoid this, put your phone on silent until you are done driving.
The number of registered vehicles on the road during the holiday season increases year on year. The statistics for the 2023/2024 festive season indicated that there were 13133035 registered vehicles on the road which was an increase of 168000 vehicles compared to the previous year.
Taking these statistics into consideration, here are a few things to consider:
Long-distance road trips on congested roads can cause a person to feel fatigued, which can affect their ability to make fast decisions and in turn, slow down a person's reaction time. For example, an irresponsible driver cutting in front of a fatigued motorist could cause them to swerve out in panic and bump into another car. This could also be very dangerous to inexperienced drivers who might not know how to react.
The holiday is a time to come together with family and friends and often involves drinking. Unfortunately, some people take the celebrations too far by drinking too much and using illegal substances. This impairs a person’s senses and lowers their ability to focus. This will affect reaction times and coordination and could lead to accidents.
Mechanical failures pose a massive risk to motorists, especially on long-distance trips. Vehicles that have not been serviced regularly could cause unexpected accidents due to not being maintained properly. These failures could be tyre blowouts, brake failures, or engine overheating which could lead to breakdowns on roads and congested highways.
The anxieties of the season, unfortunately, cause people to rush. This is especially true when people travel long distances and feel that speeding will get them to their destination faster. As you know stress plus a need to get things done fast, equals a loss of judgment, which can result in accidents and sadly loss of life.
South African weather can be unpredictable. It can often change in a matter of minutes, from hot to cold or from sunny and warm to cloudy and rainy. For example, the snowfall in Durban during the September 2024 school holiday which stranded vehicles in heavy snow leaving many motorists in distress. This example indicates why you should always check weather updates and news before driving.
Another example would be the December rainy season for provinces like Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and Mpumalanga. The extreme downpours in these areas can quickly result in flooded roads. Drivers can misjudge how deep the water is and speed through these areas, causing them to lose control which may lead to accidents.
To give more context on the state of road accidents during the holiday period, let's look at a few statistics from the accident report for the December period of 2023/2024.
These statistics do paint a negative light on our beloved country, but it is a reality that we have to be aware of. Luckily there are steps you can take to stay safe on the road.
Travelling this holiday season can be very enjoyable and stress-free when you put a few things into practice, let's discuss what you can do to stay safe.
Are you planning on escaping to your ideal paradise this holiday? If so, the best place to start is to plan your trip. You can do this by mapping out your journey from start to finish. There aren't many different highways to take to the coast. Know beforehand where you will be stopping to rest, stretch your legs and get a bite to eat. Additionally, avoiding congested roads will drastically improve your trip experience and save fuel costs.
If you staying closer to home you might consider structuring your day. If you’ll be travelling, monitor traffic updates on GPS apps to monitor traffic congestion and drive only when heavy traffic has died down.
After your trip is planned and you are happy with the route, it is time to inspect your vehicle. Jakkie Olivier, CEO of RMI stated in a 2023 interview that about 80% of the vehicles in South Africa aren’t checked regularly. So here are the checks you should do on your car before hitting the long road:
Traffic laws were created to make roads safer and to instruct people on how to behave. Adhering to traffic laws not only means you are following the rules of the road but you are also protecting other drivers, pedestrians and road users. These laws include following speed limits, stopping at stop signs and yielding at intersections. Defensive driving like this helps you prevent collisions and also enables you to anticipate actions by reckless drivers.
Road safety is pivotal to Cartrack. Being a leader in stolen vehicle recovery and telematics solutions, Cartrack strives to create solutions that help motorists ensure they stay safe. Here are Cartrack’s features that will help you stay safe this holiday season.
You never know what may happen when you are on the road. That is why it is essential to have Cartrack Protector, a crisis manager available 24/7. Protector is an emergency service that assists you in a time of need. Here is what it offers you:
Stolen Vehicle Recovery (SVR) brings together technology and data to recover stolen or hijacked vehicles. In the event you report your vehicle stolen, a ground crew is dispatched. When you are in a province or place you are not familiar with, you can rest assured that Cartrack will have a team that will be available immediately to recover your vehicle.
Are you ready to have the best holiday season? By following the tips discussed and by incorporating Cartrack solutions into your vehicle, you can significantly minimise road safety challenges. You can travel with confidence, knowing that help is just a call away.
Make this holiday season a stress-free experience with Cartrack by your side. Contact us to learn more.
Stay safe on the road this holiday season! Discover expert tips on how to navigate traffic, prevent fatigue, and prepare your vehicle for stress-free travels.
