Keep your family safe on the road during Easter with these tips from TRAC

The year has flown by and tourists are coming to Mpumalanga in numbers for the Easter weekend. Many locals are also leaving to go on holiday or visit family.  This means that the roads will be very busy, and motorists will need to take a few safety precautions into consideration.

Pre-trip planning

• If you need to stay somewhere for a night, make sure that your arrangements are done before you leave and that you have the reference number and location of the guest house or hotel.

• Plan your route, including stops, and ensure that you make plans to stop every 200 hundred kilometres or two hours to refuel and rest. Popular Easter weekend destinations include Swaziland or Mozambique. With less frequent rest stops, it’s important to pack water and food and make sure you have enough fuel. There are many rest stops along the N4 Toll Route where you can refuel, stretch your legs, grab a coffee or get something to eat. If you are travelling on the N4 Toll Route via Schoemanskloof, remember to wave hello to Old Joe, who is looking snazzy in his Easter outfit.

• When planning your departure and return, try to avoid heavy traffic days such as Thursday,18 April, Friday, 19 April and Monday, 22 April and we suggest leaving a day sooner, or a day later.

Vehicle Checks

• Make sure that your car is roadworthy and in good condition to carry you on your journey safely. It is important to make sure that your car received the regular services.

• While you fuel up, you need to check your tyre pressure on all your tyres and the spare. Make sure they have enough thread for the road ahead. If they are worn down, replace them before you leave. Check that you have all the necessary tools to change one if you must.

• Check that you have all the necessary tools with you in case of any type of emergency. This can be from having to change a tyre or dealing with an overheated car.

• If you have a GPS, set landmarks between your start and end destinations. Another handy feature in most GPSes is giving you an indication of how far you are from your destination and an estimated time of arrival.

Safety tips for your family:

• Always buckle up. This includes all passengers, including back-seat passengers and toddlers who, legally, must be in a car seat.

• Obey the rules of the road, and drive to the conditions of the road. If a road is marked for 120km/h, but visibility is poor due to mist or rain, decrease your speed to ensure you see properly ahead. Remember to turn on your fog lights and as an added precaution, turn on your hazards until visibility is clear again.

• Be considerate of other drivers. Remember everyone has a right to be on the road.

• Do not use your phone while driving. Distracted driving weakens your reaction time. You are up to four times more likely to cause an accident, and up to 25% of accidents in South Africa are caused by texting and driving.