Safe driving during load-shedding, rain
MIWA talks about staying safe on the road with heavy rains and load-shedding constantly being a threat.
The Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA) has provided some tips for staying safe on the road with heavy rains and load-shedding constantly being a threat.
“Along with the rain comes wet, slippery roads and bad-tempered, impatient drivers. Along with that, the recent load-shedding meant traffic lights weren’t working and motorists faced delays in traffic. This doesn’t, however, excuse bad behaviour on the roads. Bad behaviour only leads to accidents,” said Dewald Ranft, chairman of the Motor Industry Workshop Association (MIWA), an affiliate association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI).
Driving responsibly also goes a long way to extending the life of your vehicle and its parts.
“Harsh braking and rapidly accelerating all contribute to the wear and tear on essential parts of your vehicle. It can be even worse in the rain,” he said.
Dewald said that sticking to speed limits and keeping a good following distance are two easy ways to be safe on the roads.
“Speed kills. While it may sound clichéd, it’s the truth. By speeding and driving too close to other vehicles we greatly increase the chances of an accident.”
He added that just because others are speeding, it doesn’t mean you have to. “The far right-hand lane is the fast lane. Stay out of this lane if you are feeling pressured by other drivers to break the speed limit. The same applies to the yellow emergency lane. This lane is intended for emergency vehicles, vehicles that have broken down or an escape route for vehicles to use to avoid an accident. You should not be in this lane otherwise, irrespective of what others are doing.”
Dewald compiled a list of his top tips to improve driver behaviour:
– Respect yellow and red traffic lights. They mean stop, not speed up.
– Remember what the lines on the road are there for. They indicate when you can and can’t overtake. They are there for a reason.
– Indicators are not an optional extra on vehicles, so use them!
– Try leaving a little earlier for trips rather than rushing on our roads.
– Remember your manners. Be forgiving if people make mistakes and let’s all be less aggressive towards other drivers.
Lastly, he said that it’s important to make sure your vehicle is roadworthy.
“Sadly, many drivers knowingly put their lives at risk by getting behind the wheel even when they know there is a problem with the car.”
“As South Africans, it’s time that we all pulled together to help improve our daily lives. Be a responsible citizen on our roads. Stop pointing fingers at other drivers. Make the decision to improve your driver behaviour despite what others do. Who knows, we may just start a trend and reduce our devastatingly high road death numbers,” Dewald concluded.
