Weather: Check the forecast before travelling this long weekend

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has urged motorists who will be travelling to various destinations this long weekend to check the weather forecast before embarking on their journeys and to avoid travelling at night where possible.

The December period is generally characterised by summer rainfall in South Africa and motorists should make sure that their vehicles have proper functioning windscreen wipers and that breaks and tyres are in good condition.

An analysis conducted by the RTMC shows that fatal crashes increase exceedingly between 19:00 and 23:00. Pre-dawn travel is also dangerous as the data shows that there is a high number of crashes between 01:00 and 03:00.

“Road crashes are particularly high on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Motorists are called on to exercise extreme caution when travelling on these days,” said the corporation.

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Considering the high number of vehicles on the road at this time of the year, motorists are further advised to add at least an hour to their travelling time for possible delays.

Motorists are also advised to refrain from giving lifts to hitchhikers as this can lead to hijackings or attacks on motorists.

Motorists should keep the following numbers for use in case of an emergency:

• Crisis centre for medical and ambulance response: 101777

• Police: 10111

• Emergency response for N1/N4 toll routes: 0800 029 999

• Emergency response for N3 toll route: 0800 63 4357

• To report bribery and corruption WhatsApp 083 293 7989

“Your safety remains our priority, one life lost on the road is one life too many. Be vigilant and arrive alive,” said the RTMC.