It’s that time of year again and Buddy is hoping you’re thinking Safety first when planning your December Road trip.
In South Africa, the start of summer has got everyone thinking about the festive season holidays. Whether your December means trips to the bush, the beach or anywhere just to be with family and friends, you’ll need to be making travel plans. And if you’re planning on being on the roads in December, you need to start thinking about being proactive about your safety.
We’ve written previously about things to do to keep you safe on the road, but what could you be doing right now to ensure that your planned road trip goes as smoothly as possible – read on to find out.
1. Make sure your vehicle is roadworthy
Driving an unroadworthy car is illegal, and it’s also dangerous. That’s why it’s important to make sure your car is roadworthy, so you can enjoy safe and legal driving. There are a number of criteria to ensuring your vehicle is roadworthy – see this article for the complete list. https://www.avts.co.za/know-car-roadworthy/
A roadworthy vehicle is one that meets the minimum standards of safety required by law. This means that the vehicle must be in acceptable operating condition. A roadworthiness test at an accredited roadworthy centre takes about an hour, and will cost approximately R500. Many testing centres also offer vehicle inspections, so you can check up on the condition of your car, or enjoy better peace of mind before taking a long trip.
Some sources also recommend carrying a few essential spare parts with you on your trip, like a fan belt and radiator hose.
If your car is not roadworthy, you may want to consider renting a car for the trip. It may seem like an unwanted added expense, but not when you consider your family’s safety and welfare.
2. Service station safety checks – book now
Many car dealerships offer complimentary pre-holiday inspections leading up to the festive season. Ensuring your car is safe to drive the distance is an essential pre-requisite for a happy holiday.
The checklist includes ensuring:
- all fluids are at optimal levels
- all lights are working (Ford often find that new brake lights are required)
- wipers are in good working order
- wheels and tyres are correctly inflated and have adequate tread (including the spare). In addition wheel bearings are checked
- brake pads are not worn
- there are no leaks
- the drive belt has no cracks
- the steering is correctly aligned
- the brakes and clutch are working as expected.
3. Insurance
Insurance is an essential asset to protect your assets and peace of mind having regard to the dangerous realities of the roads in South Africa.
Insurance policies can vary depending on the type of vehicle being insured, so it’s important to work with an expert who can guide you through all the options available to ensure that you get the best value for money.
Before your trip, make a quick call to your insurance company to ensure you’re adequately covered. While you’re at it, you might as well check all other policies, like homeowners, life insurance etc.
4. Backup plan in case of an emergency?
In the event of something happening along the road that prevents you from continuing your journey, make sure you have the necessary items at hand while you wait for emergency services to assist you.
Do you have an AA membership, or does your vehicle dealership offer emergency assistance? If not, you should possibly explore other alternatives to ensure that you have a plan should you need one.
Check your vehicle’s first aid kit to ensure you have the necessary basics (like tire repair kit) in case of an emergency.
5. Backup power supply for mobile phone
Your mobile phone is useless if it is not charged, so ensure that it is fully charged as often as possible and keep a backup power supply handy.
6. Adequate luggage storage
If you can’t pack all your luggage safely stowed in the boot, investigate other possibilities, like a trailer or roof storage. Items lying loosely in the back can be dangerous, even fatal, in the event of sudden sharp braking.
If you need to rent a trailer or roof storage, now is a good time to do it to avoid the last minute rush. It may also be a good idea to familiarize yourself with driving with a trailer so that you feel confident on your road trip.
7. Plan your leave accordingly
Don’t work up to the last minute and leave on your holiday fatigued and frustrated. Ensure that you are well rested and focused prior to driving any distance.
8. Plan your route
In the age of GPS systems that navigate us to where we want to be, we often rely on tech and don’t really familiarize ourselves with the route in advance of our trip. This might be a mistake. Look out for filling/service stations, car dealerships (for your vehicle make), and rest stops along the way. You should be stopping every few hours to stretch your legs and have a break, and you’ll want to ensure you’re stopping at a safe place.
In addition, you may want to check online to see if there is any maintenance planned on your route.
Here’s a great resource for checking out planned maintenance: https://www.i-traffic.co.za/TrafficRoads#onroadservices.
A very handy application Buddy can recommend to monitor road conditions and plan routes is WAZE.
9. Plan activities to keep the rest of the passengers entertained along the way
Bored, hungry and thirsty children can be a distraction to a driver on a long trip. Ensure that you have enough water and healthy snacks along for the ride as well as activities to keep the youngsters entertained. Drivers should ensure that they have snacks that will not detract their attention from the road, open wrappers prior to the journey and ensure that lids of coffee cups are secure.
RAF Buddy has his very own activity book that can keep kids entertained (and learning about road safety) for hours. Hop onto the RAF Buddy website to download your copy of the book.
If you get these items sorted now, you’ll have so much less to worry about closer to the time and, chances are, you’ll have a pleasant trip.
Here’s to you contributing to safer South African roads!
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