The national road agency will monitor the roads this holiday season, making sure travelling conditions are safe, but motorists must do their bit too!
Road safety over the December period is major issue, and it is up to all road users to be drive safely and prevent accidents – to know their WHOA moment and act responsibly.
The festive season brings more vehicles onto the roads as South Africans travel to their holiday destinations, and with the increase of volume on the roads comes an increase in the risks of accidents.
Road safety is a major challenge during this period, says South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) CEO Skhumbuzo Macozoma.
“Although there is a major drive from many institutions around road safety, accident statistics remain unacceptably high,” Macozoma adds.
Roads not real problem
Almost 80% of road crashes in South Africa occur as a result of human factors, such as speeding and reckless behaviour, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s 2016/2017 report.
Roads and environmental factors account for 17%, the rest is due to physical factors such as unroadworthy vehicles.
“An important part of what SANRAL does is to provide safe roads; safe for vehicles and pedestrians,” says Macozoma. This festive season the agency will redouble its efforts to promote road safety.
Motorists can look forward to a safe journey on the national network, with its high-quality roads and 24-hour emergency and law enforcement from partners in the provinces – part of the Roads Incidents Management Systems programme. Road users, particularly tag holders, can expect easy passage through the friendly toll plazas.
“We have been travelling on our roads to assess their condition, and we visited several construction zones to determine the extent of road works and their impact on traffic. We are happy to say our roads are ready to accommodate the holiday traffic,” says Macozoma.
Motorists can also visit the SANRAL website www.nra.co.za for help in planning their journeys.
The road agency has made available a series of videos to help motorists plan their journeys: routes to use; what to expect on the road; the estimated cost of tolls; and rest spots on the route.
You can download these 5 videos here: https://we.tl/eIPxFEFvhv
Beyond assessing the state of the roads, SANRAL will also be rolling out the WHOA! campaign to encourage responsible behaviour on the roads and reduce deaths and accidents.
“Please heed the calls to stay safe on the roads. Do things differently this festive season. Be responsible for your life and for that of fellow road-users. Don’t drink and drive. Don’t text and drive. Don’t text and walk,” says Macozoma.