New research from Discovery Insure’s Holiday Drive Trends has revealed a 26% increase in speeding during the holiday season, with drivers travelling at least 10km/h over the speed limit.
The research, released on Thursday, focused on KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, and the Western Cape, and it provides valuable insights into road safety for December and January.
The study highlights that with less bumper-to-bumper traffic, many drivers tend to speed more during the year-end period.
According to the research, January 2 is the busiest day on the roads as most travellers return to Johannesburg from Durban.
Discovery Insure’s CEO, Robert Attwell, said speeding not only has minimal impact on arrival time but also increases the risk of accidents. He urged drivers to focus on safety and enjoy the journey rather than rush to their destination.
The report further showed that the typical Johannesburg to Durban trip takes about six and a half hours, including a 37-minute rest stop. Although 7% of drivers completed the trip without stopping, this only resulted in marginal time-saving.
Drivers who skip rest breaks tend to drive 36% more aggressively during the second half of their journey.
Attwell recommended taking breaks to stay rested and alert, emphasising that a half-hour stop does not significantly delay the trip.
KZN Transport and Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma has urged motorists to be considerate of other road users. He said road safety plans for both the long weekend and the festive season will ensure that anyone who fails to adhere to road safety regulations will be dealt with accordingly.
Duma said that based on tourism projections, over 603 000 domestic visitors and more than 63 000 international visitors were expected to travel to various parts of KwaZulu-Natal this festive season. Some of these visitors will begin arriving this long weekend and remain until the first week of January 2025.
In our interaction with the South African National Road Agency and Road Traffic Management Corporation, we will see an increase in traffic volume along the N3, N2, and N11.
“We are projecting a holiday traffic increase ranging from 30% to 100% above the average daily traffic at peak times.”
He said preliminary figures for the period December 1, 2024, to December 11, 2024, show 56 crashes on these roads, marking a 6% rise compared to the same period in 2023. These incidents resulted in 58 fatalities in 2023 and 57 in 2024.
“We won’t tolerate reckless driving. Comply or we will send you to jail,” Duma said.
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Multi-disciplinary roadblocks involving various law enforcement agencies will be conducted from this evening until next week.
Duma also mentioned that fatigue-related crashes are increasing on the N2 and N3, with the highest number of these incidents involving trucks on the N3, Van Reenen’s Pass, Balgowan, Peter Brown, and Cato Ridge.
