Vehicle overturns on N1 during severe weather conditions

With the current weather conditions and sudden downpour of heavy rain across large parts of the country, motorists are urged to proceed with caution.

CT vehicle overturned

Severe weather conditions

A vehicle on the N1 in Observatory, Cape Town overturned due to severe weather conditions and heavy rain late on Sunday afternoon.

As reported by Arrive Alive, the driver was “fortunate to escape without injury” when the vehicle overturned between Walter Sisulu Avenue and Nelson Mandela Boulevard.

Local authorities were on the scene of the collision for assistance and further investigations.

Road safety

Earlier this month, Netcare shared tips on how to keep safe when driving in wet weather, saying “it is important to take wet weather seriously”.

• Ensure that your headlights and brake lights are working and working properly.
• Check the condition of your tyres.
• Do not speed and avoid hard braking or turning sharply.
• Maintain a safe following distance – this gives you time to react and avoid potentially dangerous situations.
• Ensure that your windscreen wipers are in good condition and that you can see clearly out of your windscreen.
• Switch on your headlights, especially when natural light is low. Remember, this not only increases visibility it also alerts other drivers to your presence on the road.
• Remember that you get a lot of spray from the wheels when driving behind large trucks, so keep a large following distance.
• Do not cross low-lying bridges where there is flooding, even if you think your car is capable.
• Adjust your speed to the condition of the road. Just because the speed limit might be 120km does not mean that it is safe to travel at this speed in all conditions.
• Be aware of pedestrians and animals who might run across the road to get out of the rain.

ALSO READ: Flooding: Weather alerts issued, South Africans warned to ‘stay indoors’

Compiled by Cheryl Kahla