Driving safely through SA’s load-shedding

As Eskom once again enforces rolling blackouts, Autodealer asked Eugene Herbert, CEO of Masterdrive, an advanced driver training company, for guidelines on how to stay alive on the road when the coal gets wet.

According to Herbert, the key to managing the extra stress which the outages add to daily trips is to remain calm, familiarise yourself with schedules and be prepared for any effect it may have on your commute.

ALSO READ: Eskom encourages safety this winter

‘As frustrating as it may be, accept that load-shedding is a reality,’ says Herbert.

‘Get into your car prepared for the challenges this creates, and then manage them calmly and safely.

‘When you let frustration rule your decisions behind the wheel, the situation becomes dangerous.’

Herbert provides the following tips to safely navigate the roads during load-shedding:

• Attempt to avoid
areas experiencing outages during your travel times with the help of apps like Google Maps

• Give yourself additional travel time so you avoid feeling pressurised while driving

• Do not drive inside the yellow line while waiting in congestion at a traffic light. This worsens the traffic for other motorists, makes it more dangerous to re-enter traffic later on and may incite anger from other drivers

• While intersections should be treated as four-way stops, often this does not happen. This makes it necessary to double check every path that crosses yours before going. Rather take longer to cross than not make it across at all

• If you find it difficult to remain calm in congestion, find ways that can assist in relaxing you, such as selecting relaxing music before you set out

• Listen to points people directing traffic and give them the respect they deserve for the help they provide

• If another driver is displaying reckless, selfish or any other questionable behaviour, rather ignore them and move out of their way than get upset or try to intervene.

Herbert’s last bit of advice to get safely through

Eskom’s witching hours is to not drive in a way that you may later regret.

‘Accept that these challenges are likely to affect you and make a mental commitment to handle them safely,’ says Herbert.

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