Easter Road Safety

The extra-long weekend during Easter holidays signals a busy time on South African roads – a time characterised by a lot of tragic accidents. However, emergency medical services provider, Netcare 911 said it was ready to assist over the hectic holiday period.

“From our experience in previous years, we know that this is an especially busy time on our roads and this, unfortunately, often leads to an increase in the number of tragic road accidents,” said Shalen Ramduth, Netcare 911’s director for business development and support services.

The emergency services provider said it has strengthened its resources with ambulances, advanced life support response vehicles and emergency care practitioners along the N3 highway between Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal during the busy holiday period.

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“It is hoped that in addition to being ready to provide prompt emergency medical and rescue assistance to the public where needed, the high-visibility of the Netcare 911 team will help to keep road safety top-of-mind among road users,” Netcare 911 said.

Ramduth urged motorists to play their role in helping make South Africa’s roads safe over the holidays by following reasonable safety precautions and displaying courteous driving behaviour.

“If we all take a few simple measures when travelling, it is possible to reduce the number of accidents and ensure that more people reach their destinations without incident and return safely after their holidays,” Ramduth said.

Ramduth said driver fatigue and drunk driving are two major contributors to road accidents.

“Drivers need to be mentally alert and in good physical condition when embarking on a road trip, and stop at least every two hours for a break to refresh themselves so that they do not become fatigued, which can impair driving ability,” Ramduth advised.

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Ramduth has also advised against drinking and driving as it reduces driving ability and gives motorists a false sense of being in full control of their vehicles. He also urged motorists to make sure that their vehicles are roadworthy and equipped with a spare tyre that is in good repair, basic tools, a reflective triangle and first aid kit.

Netcare 911 advised road users to follow these basic safety tips:

• Always ‘buckle up’: ensure that the driver and passengers are wearing seatbelts and children are properly secured in safety seats at all times during a journey.
• Get adequate quality sleep before setting off on your journey.
• Avoid drinking alcohol before and during the journey.
• Stop and take a break from driving at least every two hours.
• If you are feeling tired, stop at a safe place and stretch your legs – wait for at least ten minutes before getting back in the car as you need to ensure that you are properly refreshed – or take a nap if you are still tired.
• Keep the temperature in your car cool, since a warmer interior encourages sleepiness.
• Make a point of checking blind spots and ‘reading’ road conditions such as watching out for potholes or a slippery surface in rainy weather, as well as oncoming and rear traffic – do not simply keep your eye on the vehicle ahead of you. Also watch out specifically for pedestrians and cyclists near or on the road.
• Do not use your cell phone while driving, rather allow your passengers to SMS, tweet and take photographs for you.
• Ensure a safe following distance of at least three seconds from the vehicle in front of you.
• Stay calm and extend your following distance between erratic and aggressive drivers.

In light of driver safety warnings ahead of the Easter holidays, here is a video of what happens when you don’t wear your seatbelts:

WARNING: This contains seriously graphic content. NOT for sensitive viewers.

In case of an emergency, Ramduth advised road users to dial 082 911 and to follow these steps when the call is answered:

• begin by stating ‘I have an emergency…’.
• Give your name and contact number clearly so that we will the means to contact you.
• Immediately state whether it is a life-threatening situation and be specific about the nature of your emergency.
• Give your exact location and the physical address or location where the individuals requiring assistance can be found.

Ramduth said technology was also making it easier to call for assistance and mentioned that a partnership between Netcare 911 and the mySOS emergency mobile application was helping emergency medical practitioners pinpoint the location of people requiring assistance by alerting Netcare 911’s national emergency operations centre and loved ones to show them the GPS location.

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“It is always our hope that there will not be any accidents, and that by drawing attention to road safety matters we can contribute to many preventable accidents being avoided. Nonetheless, Netcare 911’s dedicated emergency care practitioners will be on full alert and ready to assist in case of any medical emergency that may arise,” Ramduth concluded.