Safety Tips for South African Drivers

Jan 2014

We have just seen the death toll that South African roads have claimed this holiday season. With the total number of deaths on our roads between 1 December 2013 and 7 January 2014 being north of 1,500, safety while driving obviously needs to become a priority for us over the holiday season. In the future, here are a couple of checks that you should add to your holiday list.
Don’t let your happiness be marred through lack of planning for that long drive to the coast or inland with problems that could dampen the joy of your vacation. Prepare, prepare and prepare to ensure that your holiday is a merry occasion.

Tips that ought to ensure your journey is a pleasant and safe experience:

Ensure that your tyre valves all have their caps on. If you do find that you have a flat tyre that is unexplained, missing caps is usually the culprit – find out how to maintain your tyres.
Caps are designed to keep out dirt and moisture from your tyres that could cause unwelcome leaks.
Keep in mind that tyres tend to lose pressure when the outside temperatures drop or if the temperature soars.
Did you know that a drop of 6 degrees C can make a tyre’s air pressure fall quite substantially and even more in hot weather?
If you are travelling to a destination where the variation in temperature is vast check your tyre pressure frequently and adds air more often.
Always keep an old blanket handy – should you intend carrying things on the roof of your car it will protect the car from unnecessary scratches and scrapes.
Never overload your roof rack – the weight specifications of the roof rack can be found in your vehicle manual.
Check your power steering fluid.
If the level of the power steering fluid drops your car will become impossible to steer plus it could damage the power steering pump.
This is easily avoidable and a problem which is not very pleasant when it happens.
Only use the power steering fluid that is recommended for your particular vehicle.
If you are going on a road trip, ensure that you check all the above over and above your regular service and check-up.

Additional Safety Tips & Articles

Dekra safety check
10 tyre maintenance tips