Stay alert on roads

POLOKWANE – Driver exhaustion may have been the reason that a truck left the road and smashed through the barriers of a bridge, falling to the stream below on the Mogwadi road just outside the city on Friday morning.

The two drivers who were in the truck were not injured.

According to Bernard Zulu, he was asleep in the passenger seat when the truck plunged over the bridge. He said he suspected that the man who was driving at the time, had also fallen asleep. “We had not slept for two days, so we were both tired. We were driving from Beit Bridge to Johannesburg, and I was very tired,” Zulu explained. He said he had not rea-lised that his co-driver was just as tired as he was. Traffic officials at the scene confirmed that the driver had fallen asleep.

Transport, safety and liaison spokesperson, Kagiso Mootane, said drivers were urged to rest when driving long distances to avoid accidents. When asked if a driver could be charged with driving when fatigued, Mootane replied in the negative. She said officials normally took the driver’s vehicle keys for at least two hours so that the drivers could rest before continuing their journey.

She said the key to safe and relaxed holiday travelling, especially on a long road trip, was planning. This included working out the route you were taking, the time it would take (with regular stops to rest), and ensuring that the motor vehicle was in a good condition.

The department compiled a road trip checklist:

• Have your car serviced and given a proper

safety check.

• Map out your trip and make sure you al

low plenty of time to get to your destination,

including rest stops.

• Take regular breaks, at least one every two

hours and pull over for a power nap as soon

you feel tired.

• Share the driving if possible.

• Never drink alcohol, not even small

amounts, before or during a long trip.

• Have a few good nights’ sleep before going

on holiday.

• Don’t drive when you would normally be

sleeping.