Transport on expected traffic volumes for Easter Monday

Traffic volumes expected to reach ceiling high this Easter Monday

The National Department of Transport is expecting all Gauteng bound national routes to be extremely congested this Easter Monday especially the N1, N2, N3, N4, N12 and N17.
 
This congestion will be the climax of this Easter weekend as it comes to an end also marking the end of school holidays.  On Thursday (13 April 2017), the eve of Good Friday; N1 carried 172 283 vehicles in 24hours; N2 with 73 621 vehicles: N3 with 136 094 vehicles; N4 with 129 489 vehicles and N12 with 45 988 vehicles. This brought a total of just over 500 000 vehicles on these national routes.
 
With Gauteng schools opening tomorrow, each and every national route leading to Gauteng is expected to carry over 130 000 vehicles on average with the gradual traffic volume increase from morning until the evening.
 
This could see over 700 000 vehicles Gauteng bound this Easter Monday alone.  Thousands of traffic police officers will be deployed on these routes.
 
The biggest contributing factor to road crashes is expected to be motorists wanting to cover a long distance at a shortest possible time.
 
As a result, moving traffic offences such as speeding, overtaking on barrier lines and overloading are the main contributing factors to road crashes. Fatigue is also a silent killer.
 
Road users must once again remember that road crash’s cost to the economy on car repairs, insurance claims, medical costs and funeral costs – etcetera, is over R142 billion which translates to 3,4 per cent on the country’s GDP.
 
Motorists are therefore urged to exercise extreme care and be vigilant on the road.
 
They must rest after every 2 hours or every 200 KM to reduce road crashes related to fatigue.
 
Drivers must stick to the speed limit and obey the rules of the road. All vehicles occupants must wear seatbelts. Younger children must be put on child restrain car seats at all times while the car is in motion.
 
Drivers should be on the lookout for pedestrians especially near informal settlements where there are no formal crossing points.
 
Let us not forget that according to the statistics released by the RTMC, this Easter weekend alone, 1738 were caught speeding, 354 for overloading, 843 without drivers licenses and 346 without public drivers permits.
 
Let us also remember that drunk drivers and speedsters have also been arrested this Easter Weekend. We will continue to arrest those who continue to break the rules of the road.
 
Meanwhile, the Department wishes to express its heartfelt condolences to the deceased families of those who lost their loved ones on the N7 head on collision where 8 people perished in the Western Cape.  Our thoughts are also with the families who lost their loved ones due to reckless driving this Easter weekend.

Media contact:
Collen Msibi
Cell: 073 197 2431
 

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