Five useful tips for your holiday
Travelling for the holidays? Well make sure you don’t find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere by taking note of these five tips from Richard Green, director of the South African Motor Body Repairers’ Association (SAMBRA), a constituent association of the Retail Motor Industry Association (RMI).
• Know your route – Google the route you intend travelling and the distances between towns before you leave. This way you can plan your fuel usage to stop at familiar places for a top up. If you are driving on a golden oldie route check if the service stations on route have workshops.
• Have your insurer’s and selling motor dealer’s phone numbers handy. Your dealer and your insurer will have sold you salvage services within your sale/insurance contract and have service providers in almost every small town around the country.
• Check that your spare wheel is there and is properly inflated. The same applies to your jack.
• Spare keys? Where are they – if they are not with you make sure they are readily available.
•If you intend going off the beaten track at all, pack some “I won’t need that” stuff. Some cable ties, a rope, battery charger cables, water, a spare fan belt, etc, would be worth considering.
“Remember that the holiday season is also the time when opportunistic criminals take chances. Make sure your car’s locking system works, your bags containing valuables are hidden away and if necessary, carry these bags with you when getting out of the car for a break. Here’s to a safe holiday drive,” said Green.
