The Easter long weekend is here and this signals the start of a well-deserved break or even a getaway for a lot of South Africans.
When Easter arrives, it means that we have survived the first school term and also the first quarter of the year. And what better way to celebrate such a special holiday than with friends, family, the Easter bunny and the endless supply of chocolate eggs and hot cross buns that are synonymous with this holiday.
Many of us will also be travelling on very busy roads over this time, leaving our homes unattended, or entering into potentially vulnerable situations.
iLiveSafe want you and yours to have the happiest and safest Easter yet.
“Every year we see how the death toll rises over Easter, and every year my heart breaks for the families who could have potentially been spared such tragedy,” says Pierre Spies, famous sportsman and brand ambassador of the much revered safety, rapid response and identification system, iLiveSafe.
“It has been estimated that there are around 200 deaths on our country’s roads over Easter every year, and we have to ask ourselves – how can we ensure that things are different this year?”
Not only do travellers, especially motorists, fall prey to the dangers associated with frequenting South Africa’s busy roads over Easter, but many South Africans leave their homes unattended for days or even weeks. This, of course, makes them a soft target for break-ins and robberies.
“The sad reality is that crooks and criminals are always on the watch and always on the prowl, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. And don’t think for one minute you’re exempt from this because you stay in a ‘high security complex’,” adds Pierre.
“These criminals know when we are bound to go on holiday, and will often wait for the right moment to rob us of our hard-earned possessions. And in the end, it’s not our possessions which we miss, but we are left traumatised by the complete and utter invasion of privacy and breach of security.”
In the light of this, Pierre and iLiveSafe have put together 10 tips to ensure that you and your family have a safe and happy Easter in 2015:
- Tell close friends/family members about your plans. Leave a copy of your full itinerary or schedule with friends/family members, and have them check up on you at specified, strategic times.
- Pay someone to housesit for you. If leaving a set of keys with a willing neighbour is out of your comfort zone, pay a professional to housesit for you. This way, the newspaper and mail doesn’t remain in the post box for weeks, the trash gets removed and there are signs of life.
- Avoid leaving on a Friday. Statistically, the roads are 15 per cent busy on a Friday, which increases the traffic and also your chances of being involved in a car accident.
- Avoid driving during the night if possible. Night driving (between 10pm and 4am) increases your chances of being involved in an accident by ten times compared to any other time of the day.
- Stay focused and avoid distractions while driving. This includes talking on your cell phone while driving, or reaching back to sort the children out. Rather pull over at designated safety spots to perform actions which will distract you from driving.
- Take more breaks. It is a good idea to take a break roughly every 200kms or two hours, especially if you’re driving far. Get out of your car, walk around a bit, stretch your legs and refocus for the next part of your journey.
- Don’t drink and drive. This might seem like an obvious point, but many South Africans still drink and drive. It is against the law, and it can cost you your life.
- Perform a complete vehicle safety check. It is also a good idea to take your car for a full service if you plan on travelling long distances.
- Trust your instincts. Should you suspect that you are being followed or if you fear for the safety of you and your family, go to the nearest police station immediately. Be vigilant, pay close attention to your surroundings and be ready to react.
- Have a safety game plan in check. Make sure that you and your family know what to do during a crisis or emergency situation. This might just be the difference between life and death for you.
Pierre also strongly recommends and calls upon the name of iLiveSafe over Easter, and during the rest of the year too. This complete identification, safety and rapid response solution was very specifically designed to form the cornerstone of day-to-day, comprehensive safety for South Africans.
“I strongly recommend that you get in touch with iLiveSafe today, and discuss the many different options with them,” concludes Pierre.
“Within the four comprehensive packages that iLIveSafe has on offer, you and your family will find the peace and peace of mind that you deserve this Easter…and every other day thereafter.”
