Driving and vehicle safety
Read this page for tips and rules to keep you, your family, and other drivers safe when you are driving.
Good driving habits
Adopt these habits to become a smarter driver:
- Check your tyre pressure monthly – under-inflated tyres cause accidents. If possible, buy your own pressure gauge and check your tyre pressure yourself, as they can be more reliable than the ones from petrol stations.
- Don't idle your car engine to warm it up (if you do, try to keep it to 20-30 seconds); your car will warm up best (and most safely) if you drive it immediately but without accelerating too much.
- Try to leave at least five minutes earlier for a slower, safer ride.
- Use cruise control as much as possible (except in hilly areas); modern motors can handle better driving at lower revolutions per minute (RPMs).
- If you do have to load your vehicle heavily, try to put more weight in the front to avoid lifting the nose of the vehicle – lifting the nose increases the air drag, making the car less streamlined which uses more fuel.
- Turn off your engine if you need to fasten seatbelts for your children or when you load and unload your car.
Find out more about safe following distances on the
Arrive Alive website. For tips on how to drive greener, please see
Smart driving.
Be safe on the road
The following are the most basic guidelines for being a safe driver:
- Be alert and vigilant of your surroundings.
- Don’t drink and drive.
- Buckle up! Make sure your passengers (front and back) wear their safety belts, especially children.
- Keep a safe following distance of at least 1.5 metres from the car in front of you.
- Switch on your headlamps when visibility is poor.
- Make sure your vehicle is roadworthy.
- Don’t use your cellphone at all when driving.
Cellphone safety
It is illegal to talk on a cellphone or send text messages while driving. In Cape Town, drivers caught speaking without the use of a hands-free kit will be fined on the spot and have their
cellphones confiscated.
Facts about cellphone driving:
- Having a cellphone conversation is just as dangerous as texting while you drive.
- One single phone call results in an average of 52 seconds of distracted driving.
- When you use your cellphone, you can fail to notice up to 50% of your environment, including traffic lights and pedestrians.
- Talking to someone on a cellphone is different from talking to a passenger in the car with you (the difference is one set of eyes on the road versus two).
- Adult passengers also adjust their talking when traffic is challenging; people on the other end of a cellphone conversation are not aware of the traffic.
- Using a hands free kit when driving is legal, but your concentration is still impaired.
Source – MasterDrive SA-‘It can wait’ campaign
Buckle up
The law states that every passenger in a car must wear their seatbelts. You will be fined R500 for not wearing your belt or wearing one that doesn't work properly. Drivers will be fined R1 000 if a child passenger is not belted up.
Fast fact
Not wearing your seatbelt can be fatal. Safety belts are 99% effective in preventing drivers and passengers from being ejected in an accident. They reduce the risk of death in an accident by nearly 45%.
Watch out for cyclists
As a driver, it is your responsibility to look out for other vehicles and pedestrians on the road. Remember to always ‘think bike’: expect to see cyclists and take care.
When driving, remember to:
- give cyclists space – there must be 1,5 metres or at least half a car’s width between your car and the cyclist;
- never force your way past cyclists;
- look out for cyclists when you drive, especially when you check your blind spot;
- keep within speed limits and slow down when you need to;
- expect sudden movements by cyclists, especially in windy Cape weather and on bad road surfaces;
- always signal at circles and every time you pass a cyclist;
- watch for riders on the inside when you turn left and don’t cut them off;
- be patient – a few seconds for a cyclist hardly affects your total journey time;
- always look for cyclists before opening a car door;
- don’t drive or park in lanes reserved for bicycles;
- expect speed from bikes – think of a bike as a vehicle;
- use your dim/dipped headlights; and
- consider that cyclists turning right need space and time.
Road rage
Drivers who are angry and frustrated often drive aggressively. Aggressive behaviour can take the form of:
- cutting someone off;
- speeding;
- following too closely;
- running red lights;
- making unsafe lane changes;
- rude hand gestures;
- angry shouting and hooting;
- physical fights; and
- drivers using their vehicles to force people off the road or ram into other vehicles.
Top tip
Do not hoot back, flash your lights or make rude gestures as this will only make you aggravated as well and may result in an argument or fight
Tips to avoid aggressive driving:
- Avoid conflict with other road users.
- Be polite and stay calm.
- Allow another motorist to filter into the ‘gap’ when it is safe to do so.
- Don’t ‘hug’ the right lane on a freeway.
- Forget your home or work worries and concentrate on your driving.
- Rather be late than involved in an accident.
- Play music that you enjoy to stay in a good mood.
- Drive with your car doors locked and keep a safe following distance.
- If you see trouble, stay in your car and try and remove yourself from the situation.
- If you are a victim of aggression, take down the car’s registration number and report the problem to the police.
Motorcycle safety
Keep the following in mind if you are driving a motorcycle:
- Always wear helmets (both rider and passenger).
- Never place objects or persons in front of the rider – they might interfere with the handlebars.
- Wear bright clothing for visibility and safety (e.g. leather jacket and long pants).
- Wear closed shoes.
- Make sure that you are licensed to ride the particular class of motorcycle.
Skateboarding and roller skating
You are not legally allowed to use a skateboard or rollerblades on a public road or pavement. However, the City has created skate parks where you can skateboard and rollerblade safely. To find a skate park near you, contact our
Recreation and Parks Department.
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