With less than three weeks until Christmas, traffic volumes are steadily increasing. If you’ve ever had to travel far from home over the Festive Season, you’ll know some roads can be a nightmare to navigate.
The best example close to home is the Lebombo Border Post, where in the past vehicles have queued for several kilometers and many hours to pass through over Christmas and New Year’s.
Roadworks like those between Hectorspruit and Komatipoort as well as the length of the Jeppe’s Reef road from Malalane also add to your travelling time.
Ensure that you’re prepared for some extra time on the road by packing in some of these essentials:
• Water or other beverages
Make sure you have a cooler bag with water or thermos with tea or coffee for the times when you’re stranded in a queue a long way from the nearest shop or accidentally end up on a route through the middle of nowhere.
• Wet wipes, a wet cloth and a trash bag
Keep the car and your family clean and cool after a messy snack or meal. Avoid having to clean the car after a long, tiring trip, by getting everyone to put their trash in a plastic bag.
• Snacks
Pack a variety of snacks like nuts, muesli bars, Provitas or similar wholegrain biscuits and small sweets like wine gums or Mentos. These will stay relatively edible in both hot and cool conditions and will help calm the kids or the driver when they get cranky, tired or hungry.
• Music or audiobooks
A long drive can get tiring for everyone. Keep the mood happy with a playlist full of the family’s favourite tunes, a favourite CD or a few audiobooks.
• A car charger or fully-charged power bank
Don’t get stranded by the side of the road with a flat tire and a flat battery. A power bank or charger is also essential when you’re using your phone’s GPS or a GPS device. You’ll also be able to quiet the kids down with an hour’s game time on your phone or tablet without worrying that you’ll be left with no communication once the battery’s run down.
Whether you’re only going on a weekend trip to Sabie to visit family or heading to the Cape or Durban for a three week holiday, take your vehicle for a service or just check that everything is still in order and topped up correctly.
Make a list of car repair shops in the area you’ll be travelling and write emergency numbers down on a notepad to keep in the cubby hole or keep them saved in a document on your phone or tablet. This will enable you get help faster if you run into trouble along your route.
If you do end up being stuck in traffic for hours, ensure that you still stop at rest stops or garages along your route every two hours or 200km to avoid becoming too tired or unfocused.
Safe travels!
