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Johannesburg - As of January 2017, it became mandatory for speed governors to be fitted to certain vehicles registered weighing more than 3500kg on that date; vehicles include minibuses, midi-buses, buses and goods vehicles.
The objective of speed governors is to limit the maximum speed of affected vehicles to 100km/h.
According to MasterDrive: "From the time the amendment was first mentioned in 2014, support was expressed for it. Of the estimated 12 deaths a day on South African roads, 25% can be attributed to these vehicles. For this reason, it is believed these laws can have a positive impact on road safety in South Africa."
Driver training needed
Speed alone is not the only cause of crashes associated with heavy or medium commercial vehicles.
According to MasterDrive managing director, Eugene Herbert, as with most other classes of vehicles, training has the potential to reduce these accidents even more: "Yet, heavy goods vehicles are a category often overlooked in terms of training solutions.
“Just like an 18-wheeler truck, safely moving a goods vehicle around requires certain skills. A major challenge that drivers have to deal with is loads which change throughout the day and consequently how to best load the vehicle for safety."
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Driver challenges
Additionally, cornering, braking, and speed are different in a medium commercial vehicle.
Herbert said: “Properly trained drivers know what to expect and how to safely handle the vehicle in each of these scenarios. They know how to adjust their driving technique, speed and following distances to suit each situation.”
MasterDrive SA also offers advanced roadcarft training, paying special attention to roll-over prevention in trucks with their Master Trucker road safety programme.
Watch the Master Trucker video below:
