Be safe on the roads this Easter

Niki Cronje, group marketing at auto company Imperial, said during this time people celebrate at different holiday destinations in the country. “It is for this reason that we not only see increased road usage over this time but our roads are known to see an increase in car crashes,” she said.

Cronje added that last Easter’s preliminary figures indicated that 287 people lost their lives on the roads during this time as a result of 208 accidents, which was much higher than the previous year.

“It is for this reason that we again focus our efforts on educating road users about road safety to bring awareness of safe road usage and responsible driving,” added Cronje.

Road safety tips for the Easter holiday:

• Ensure you take your vehicle for a complete check, at least two weeks before you depart for your vacation to ensure all critical elements such as brakes, engine, tyres and everything else is in full working order.
• Wear your safety belt at all times and ensure you strap your children in. Make sure they are strapped into a proper height-relevant car seat and not just strapped into the seatbelts on the back seat.
• Do not speed and remember to keep a safe following distance, you should keep a distance of three car’s length between you and the car in front of you.
• Never overtake where you do not have a clear line of sight, such as on a blind rise or on a corner.
• Make sure that you are always visible by driving with your headlights on, even during the day.
• Adjust your driving to suit weather, road surface or traffic flow conditions.
• Always drive a good 20km per hour slower at night.
• Stay alert by getting a good night’s rest before a long journey and take a break every two hours or 200km.
• Never drink and drive.

Details: www.ipledge.co.za