Traffic volumes peak ahead of holiday weekend

TRAFFIC volumes  heading south towards KwaZulu-Natal and north towards Gauteng ahead of the long weekend and December holidays are on the increase with the N3Toll Route (N3TC) predicitng volumes will spike up to 3500 vehicles per hour on peak days. 

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“Slow moving conditions are expected when traffic volumes are high. Heavy volumes can spike up to 2,000 to 3,500 vehicles per hour on peak days,” said  Miles le Roux of N3TC.

He said early predictions were that southbound traffic would increase between noon and 3pm on Friday, 13 December with the pace slowing from 3pm to 6pm and busy traffic from 6pm to 9pm. On Saturday traffic would be busy from 3am to 6am, with high volumes enterting the province between 6am and 3pm and continuing to 6pm.

Le Roux said the N3TC was responsible for monitoring trffic pattents, incidents and crashes along the route.  Stats revealed that of the 933 cases reported between January and October 2019, 315 cars and 255 trucks were involved in single vehicle crashes. “Single vehicle crashes – the direct result of human error – are by far the majority type of crashes on the N3 Toll Route,” he said.

“Of the total number of crashes recorded during the first 10 months of 2019, the main types of crashes were single vehicles leaving the road or rolling, followed by head-tail collisions, side wipes and multiple pile-ups,”  he said. He said this pointed to negligent driving, speeding, lack of concentraction, distractedness, ignoring road signs and unroadworthy vehicles, all of which were avoidable.
“It should not be difficult to bring the number of these types of crashes down, but it will require a committed effort from all drivers to adhere to the rules of the road, to drive more defensively and to guard against complacency,” he said.

“Safe driving requires you to focus your undivided attention on a multitude of sensory stimulants – both visually and auditory – and to have the ability to quickly make sound decisions in rapidly changing environments.  Avoid distractions, such as using your mobile devices or allowing interferences from your passengers, while you are driving. Make sure that you stay alert at all times, and stop to rest and refresh the minute that you feel your concentration starts to wane,” advised le Roux.

“N3TC uses tried and tested methods to engage with our road users. We often notice how real-time traffic information assists to create better-informed and generally safer drivers. Therefore, we encourage you not only to heed all the warning signs on the road, but also for your passengers to talk to us on Twitter @N3Route or follow us on Facebook. Travellers can make use of N3TC’s 24-hour N3TC helpline on 0800 63 4357 to obtain regular traffic updates or emergency assistance,” he said.