Arrive alive in 2012... Road safety tips for the festive season

Some of us will be injured...

Some of us will be disabled...

Some of us will die! Needlessly!

The Arrive Alive Road Safety website would like to wish all road users a safe festive season on the road and would like to share the following suggestions to keep you safe on the roads of South Africa.

1 Obey the rules of the road and carry you drivers license with you.

2 Plan the route to your holiday destination and give your self enough time to reach the destination.

3 Make sure that your vehicle is in a roadworthy condition before departure. All lights and indicators, windscreen wipers, brakes, steering, exhaust system and tyres should be carefully examined for faults.

4 Do not overload.

5 Try to avoid driving after dark if possible.

6 Have a good rest before you embark on your journey.

7 Take safety breaks every 2 hours or 200km.

8 Do not drink and drive.

9 Try to recognise potentially dangerous drivers on and pedestrians alongside the road and keep well clear of them.

10 Be visible - drive with your lights on.

11 Headlights should be dipped well before an approaching vehicle is within range of the main beam.

12 Always wear your seat belt and see that everyone in the car is wearing theirs.

13 Drive defensively.

14 Stay within the speed limit at all times.

15 Only overtake when it is absolutely safe to do so.

16 Maintain at least a 2-second following distance - this distance should be increased at night, in foggy or rainy conditions and when the road is wet.

17 Expect others not to be as obedient to the law as you are.

18 Be courteous towards fellow road users - keep your temper and resist the temptation to retaliate.

Share these suggestions with your family and friends - and enjoy a happy and safe festive season!!

What do I do in an emergency?

• The first step is to know the emergency numbers; print out this page and keep these numbers hand at all times:

• Where do I report bad driving?

National Traffic call centre number: 0861 400 800

Assist Emergency Response Units by

• Ensuring they have information on hand when calling - accurate address details and nature of the incident.
• Landmarks are useful and if no street names exist, agree on a meeting area at a specific landmark.
• Allowing emergency vehicle right of way to respond to the emergencies and giving way timeously.
• Allowing access to the scene of the incident and patient/s.
• Send someone to meet the vehicles, ensure that security at entrance points are made aware of emergencies in complexes,
• Switch on some outside lights if incident is at night
• Clear access routes and lock away any dangerous or vicious domestic animals.

Help is at hand!

Road safety information on your mobile phone - www.arrivealive.mobi

Information on:

• Treatment at scene
• Emergency response
• Legal duties
• Vehicle recovery
• Tourist tips
• Windscreen safety
• Planning your trip
• Your vehicle
• Passenger safety
• Avoiding hijacking
• Avoiding pedestrians
• Driver fitness
• Avoiding road rage
• Fatigue
• Vision
• Drunk driving

Send these tips to your friends and family in PDF format.