Roads are expected to experience high traffic volumes today as motorists head home from their holidays this weekend.

On Saturday morning, the N3 toll concession issued a warning of high traffic volumes that were already being experienced as residents made their way back to Gauteng.

By 11:00, the route had seen a substantial increase in traffic in the Northbound direction.

However, there had been no major incidents reported by midday.

Motorists are encouraged to note the N3 Helpline at 0800 63 43 57, in case of emergencies.

The Trac N4 route heading towards Tshwane from Mpumalanga was also expecting higher traffic volumes but had not reported any major delays on the route.

Motorists travelling on the Trac N4 route should take note of the Trac N4 Helpdesk at 0800 8722 64 or 082 881 4444.

Weather conditions

The South African Weather Service issued an alert for possible severe thunderstorms with a 30% probability in Gauteng on Saturday.

Some potential threats may include hail, damaging winds, heavy downpours and localised flooding.

Arrive Alive notes that such weather conditions can result in reduced visibility, reduced steering ability, reduced traction, and an increased time and space required to bring the vehicle to a stop.

“Traditionally this is an extremely dangerous time to be on our roads; fatalities over this period spike, especially on those routes where volumes increase substantially such as the N1 from Polokwane to Cape Town through Gauteng and Bloemfontein, the N2 along the Indian Ocean coastline, the N3 from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal, the N4 through Mpumalanga, and the N7 from Cape Town through Namaqualand to the Namibian border. All road users should be aware of these increases in traffic volumes, and adjust their behaviour accordingly,” said the AA.