The road has always harboured impediments that pose a challenge to road users, especially motorists.
While same have been mitigated by road signs and markings, there are those imposed by nature such as the rainy summer season. As of now, summer is nigh and so are hazardous elements, which motorists ought to be ever on the lookout for.
This calls for drivers to remember that the road is a shared space and road safety is shared responsibility in that your negligent driving may impact negatively on other road users be the other motorists, pedestrian and passengers. The following element may be realised in summer.
Wet and muddy road surface
While winter and the other season will predominantly offer the driver a dry road condition, summer can adversely impose a wet, slippery, foggy, misty and muddy terrains.
Areas such as the notorious Malagwane Hillock, Mehlwabovu and Mhlosheni have provoked grief for road users that due to rains drivers have failed to control their vehicles in the wet and slippery roads.
In some circumstances, in the middle of torrents of rainwater runs down slow so much that traffic would be running over or opposite direction with the flow.
In the event one’s speed is excessive there would be little skid resistance and such accidents as loss of control, rear-smash and rollover become imminent. In the rain, drivers are requested to reduce their seed, put their headlamps on and ensure vehicles are in good condition to withstand the rainy condition ultimately leading to wet roads.
This column is not going to rule out thunderstorms with hailstones that can damage vehicles on the road. Drivers are warned to park by the side of the road or get to the safest space possible
Flooded rivers
Apart from water-logged roads, rivers have a tendency of flowing over low-level bridges, wherein some would be swept away.
No summer has gone without records of vehicles swept off the bridge, ultimately, leading to loss of lives. This is a direct result of negligence and unnecessary risk taking by drivers who plunge unto the puddle of water.
Public service vehicles loaded with passengers have also embarked on this irresponsibly behaviour, where upon this column warns everyone never to dare cross a flooded or roaring river.
Vegetation overgrowth
While rains are a relief to life and nature, it cannot be denied that the growth of vegetation on the roadway far overtakes the capacity and opportunity to clear it for visibility.
Once vegetation overgrows, it would encroach unto the lane pathway of vehicles as a result they would narrow.
Drivers then would be tempted to jump unto the other lane in avoidance of such shrubs, which ultimately could lead to head on collisions.
Vegetation also has a tendency of concealing stray animals grazing on the green shrubbery manifested by the rains.
For that reason, motorists are also requested to be on the watch out for stary animals and reduce speed to avoid hitting them.
The call also goes to communities and farmers to drive their animals away from the road as that causes many traffic accidents.
Take-aways
- Drive carefully in the rain: You may lose control of your vehicle
- Don’t cross a flooded river on a low-level bridge
- In the rain, think of your loved ones and kill your speed
- Give light to the fog, and the torrents of rain
- Respect the storm, stop and park your car way off the road
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