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Planning a road trip soon? Or even just getting ready to go up the road to the gym or to the shops? Well, then it's best that you familiarise yourself with some important information.
Budget Insurance spokesperson Martin Janse van Rensburg explained: “You may think you've all the relevant knowledge when it comes to being on the road but there may be things of which you are unaware and which can make a huge difference to the safety of you, your passengers and other road users."
He believed a driving licence was a privilege but no guarantee that its owner was a safe driver. The major threats to the safety of cyclists, pedestrians and other road users included a lack of respect and disregard for the rules of the road."
STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW
So, Budget Insurance offers some important tips to remember while travelling:
• If you’re behind a truck and you can’t see its mirrors then its driver can’t see you.
• A truck with a trailer needs two lanes to turn left or right.
• An alert driver travelling at 60km/h takes about 3/4 of a second - or 12m of road - to realise braking is necessary and at least another 20m to stop. At higher speeds, the two distances increases exponentially. At 160km/h you will need nearly a kilometre.
• Heavy vehicles need a long distance to stop. So, for instance, if the traffic lights turn red and a truck or bus is approaching don't pull into their lane because this reduces their stopping distance.
• The acceptable minimum following distance is the distance your vehicle will travel in three seconds. This, Van Rensburg said, allowed time to glance at mirrors, road signs, side roads and vehicles further ahead while maintaining a sufficient safety space should the vehicle ahead suddenly brake.
• You are required to tie a red piece of cloth to the end of any object that protrudes past your vehicle’s edge.
• All trailers are required to have a safety chain between trailerr and tow ball.
• The maximum allowable alcohol content of the blood is 0.05mg/100ml. Translated, that means about one glass of wine for the average woman and 1.5 or two for the average man.
• The first vehicle to arrive at a four-way stop has priority. At a roundabout, give way to traffic to the right - that is, already using the roundabout.
• The general speed limit on national highways, urban freeways and other major routes is 120km/h. On secondary (rural) roads it is 100km/h and in built-up areas it is usually 60km/h unless otherwise indicated.
• Reduce speed through areas of pedestrian activity, such as schools and shopping centres.
