Road users urged to follows safety tips and take extra care during the festive season. 

Travelling on the N1 freeway from Pretoria to the Zimbabwean border should be trouble free during the festive season and road users will not experience any delays caused by road works. 

Vusi Mona, SANRAL’s communications manager, called on road users to follow important safety tips when they take to the country’s main roads during the festive season.  

“The main message is to remember that a road is a shared space and that you should be respectful towards your fellow road users,” said Mona. 

Traffic on national roads 

Peak traffic on the country’s national roads may occur earlier than normal because of the days on which December and January public holidays fall.  

In addition, all public schools close on December 12, a Wednesday, and open on a Tuesday, a week after January 1. 

Traffic will begin to pick up in the week of school closures and traffic volumes will become heavy from Friday, 14 December – the beginning of a long weekend as Monday is a public holiday with December 16 falling on a Sunday. It is also when the building industry closes. 

As Christmas falls on a Tuesday, it can be expected that traffic will start peaking on the Friday before (December 21). 

The end of the holiday period is also somewhat different: New Year’s Day is on a Tuesday, as is the day public schools re-open on January 8. This may mean peak traffic on the Mondays before. 

Speed limits are clearly indicated on the 22 214km of roads managed by SANRAL in all nine provinces. “These are maximum limits and drivers should adjust their speeds according to conditions such as rain or visibility.” 

Road users are encouraged to take a break during long distance journeys to prevent fatigue and lack of concentration. 

“Fatigue is one of the major causes of road crashes, especially when travelling over long distances – road users should #KnowYourWhoa #TakeABreakStayAwake,” said Mona. 

“Road user behaviour contributes a lot to road crashes, and we appeal to motorists to respect the rules of the road and to also ensure their vehicles are roadworthy,” he said. 

Motorists can visit the SANRAL website – www.nra.co.za – for help in planning their journeys.  

SANRAL has made available a series of videos to help motorists plan on their journeys – what route to use, what to expect on the road and the estimated expenditure for tolls and rest spots on the route. 

Motorists can also download the SANRAL App for the convenience of topping up their e-tag accounts from the comfort of their cars. 

Mona said: “The app is linked to the tag inside a vehicle and enables motorists to pass through the tag-only lanes at toll plazas across the country.  

“This eliminates congestion at the tag-only lanes at toll plazas and contributes to a safer and more enjoyable travel experience for road users.” 

Incidents should be reported to the South African Police Services (10111) or the National Traffic Call Centre (NTCC) on 012 665 6075.