During the previous summer holiday season, December 2024, single-vehicle crashes accounted for 53.5% of all crashes on the N3 Toll Route.
As the festive and holiday season begins, the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) has urged motorists to remain cautious and alert.
Thousands of holidaymakers are expected to take to the N3 as they head to the coastal areas of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) with their families, as they take a break after an exhausting 2025.
Traffic volumes
With vehicle volumes expected to increase dramatically on the N3 Toll, the N3TC said there’s a concerning trend: single-vehicle accidents are dominant on the busy route between Gauteng and KZN.
“During the previous summer holiday season (Dec 2024), single-vehicle crashes accounted for 53.5% of all crashes on the N3 Toll Route, while 60.4% of crashes recorded between January and November this year involved one vehicle only,” said Thania Dhoogra, chief operating officer of N3 Toll Concession (N3TC), which manages the N3 between Cedara in KZN and Heidelberg in Gauteng.
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“Crashes where drivers lose control of their vehicles, and either veer off the road or roll their vehicles, highlight just how much motorists are putting themselves and others at risk.”
Crashes
Dhoogra said these crashes are often the result of speeding, fatigue, or distractions — these human factors and driver errors become more common during holiday periods when traffic volumes increase.
She said they expect heavy traffic volumes into KZN from Thursday through Sunday, adding that this will peak again next weekend, with another rise two days before Christmas.
Dhoogra added that many crashes stem from speeding, fatigue and driver distraction.
“Most crashes are preventable. And so, this festive season, the N3TC urges all motorists to help keep their fellow road users safe by sticking to the speed limits, maintaining safe following distances, avoiding distractions, and taking regular breaks,” Dhoogra said.
“Increased traffic with congestion and possible delays are expected from later this week. And simple behavioural changes can make all the difference.”
Road safety
Dhoogra urged motorists to maintain a safe following distance, drive at the posted speed limit, avoid distractions, and schedule rest stops at least every two hours.
“Even minor lapses in attention and judgment can have deadly consequences, but with proper planning, being well-prepared, and taking these precautions, we can save lives.”
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Southbound traffic
A gradual increase in traffic, particularly southbound on the N3 Toll Route (towards KZN), is expected from midday on Thursday, 11 December 2025, with busy conditions expected to continue in a southbound direction between Friday and Sunday.
N3TC added that typical holiday traffic patterns with higher-than-usual volumes are also expected on the weekend of 19 to 21 December, and again on Tuesday 23 December and on Christmas Eve.
Northbound peak traffic
High volumes in both south- and northbound directions may be experienced from Friday, 26 December, leading to the year-end celebrations on New Year’s Eve.
Traffic heading towards Gauteng is expected to increase from New Year’s Day, with a very busy traffic weekend expected on the N3 Toll Route between 2 and 4 January 2026.
Motorists are urged to travel outside peak periods, as high traffic volumes typically lead to slow-moving traffic and congestion.
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