How to avoid
Festive ‘ cheer ’ becoming Festive ‘ tears ’
By Werner Bosman , CEO , Short-Term Insurance at PPS
Finally , after almost two years , there is not much preventing South Africans from packing their vehicles and heading to holiday destinations . But “ hitting the road ” could be why , what is supposed to be a happy time , turn into an instant nightmare for many drivers .
Not only is the South African Weather Service predicting more rainfall between September and February , but the dire state of the country ’ s roads will also highly likely play a significant role in road safety . As much as drivers can take steps to stay safe in such conditions , e . g ., not driving in heavy storms nor crossing low-level bridges during such downpours , the behaviour of other drivers could ruin any effort to stay safe while driving .
This is because it would be disingenuous to say South Africans rank among the best in the world . To put it plainly , we have an appalling driving culture . Our roads have many drivers who exceed the speed limit excessively , text while driving , drive while intoxicated , and generally have little regard for the rules of the road .
According to the recent Road Traffic Management Corporation ’ s
State of road safety report , there were over 10 000 fatal crashes in which more than 12 500 people died in 2021 . These crashes are estimated to cost the economy more than R188 billion annually .
Most of these crashes shatter the lives of especially young
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