The recent heavier than normal rains in some parts of the country has seen a dramatic increase in the number of potholes.
Potholes are the bane of many South African motorists on a daily basis whether commuting to work or, in the case of the festive season, going on holiday.
Ways to report
“Reporting these potholes may help other motorists and even save a life. The Gauteng Department of Transport has an app called PotholeFixGP that enables drivers to report potholes,” says The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert.
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Other ways to report potholes include:
- Vala Zonke a national app launched by SANRAL
- Pothole Patrol App includes a Whatsapp line (084 768 4653) for reporting potholes in Johannesburg
- JRA App (Find & Fix) for all faulty infrastructure reporting
- City of Cape Town’s C3 Service Delivery App
- eThekwini Fault Reporting Tool
“MasterDrive encourages all road users to download these apps and report issues to create safer festive season journeys.
Road safety is a shared responsibility and together motorists can make great strides in improving road safety. Help change the situation, rather than simply complaining about road infrastructure,” says Herbert.
Useful tips
To avoid a potential costly festive season because of the pothole scourge, MasterDrive as provided the following hints:
- Maintain adequate following distance and increase this by at least six seconds if there are many potholes.
- Drive looking 12 seconds ahead for extra time to react.
- If numerous vehicles are moving around something, pay extra attention.
- Avoid speeding.
- Reckless driving is even more dangerous on potholed roads: driving too close to vehicles ahead, swerving between lanes and intimidating others only increases your risk.
- Watch adjacent lanes as well. Drivers can swerve into your lane to avoid potholes.
- Be cautious of suddenly swerving into another lane and, consequently, other road users.
- If you hit a pothole, watch for vibrations, pulling to one side, or unusual noises which can indicate damage.
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