Durban - The N3 Toll Concession says traffic volumes are expected to peak at around midday on Thursday as hundreds of holidaymakers and families travel to KwaZulu-Natal for the festive season.
The N3TC's Thania Dhoogra said traffic volumes would also be heavier on Friday from 6am to 3pm and again on Saturday from 6am to 9am.
She said it was expecting more than 1 500 vehicles an hour during that period and again on December 23 and 24.
"Holidaymakers are expected to start their return journeys on Saturday, 31 December 2022. This will result in high volumes in a northbound direction, towards Gauteng. Peak conditions are expected to continue up to January 3, 2023 with volumes increasing once more on the January 7 to 9," she said.
All lanes on the N3 Toll Route will be open to traffic unless emergency repair or maintenance work is required during this period. No scheduled construction work will be performed on the route during the festive season, from December 15 to January 4.
Dhoogra said increased traffic volumes, combined with a mix of vehicle types sharing the road, placed additional demands on drivers, their passengers, emergency services, law enforcement agencies and road management resources.
"Slow-moving traffic, congestion and delays, driver inexperience or ineptitude, negligence, tiredness, concentration lapses, and unpredictable weather patterns all impact road safety," Dhoogra said.
N3TC’s crash data for the first 10 months of 2022, indicates that 79% of all light motor vehicle crashes and 85% of all truck crashes were attributed to driver ineptitude and/or negligence.
"Around 62% of crashes were single-vehicle crashes where drivers lost control of their vehicles, and their vehicles either left the road or rolled.
Many of the crashes could have been avoided. Risk perception, driving skills and the attitude of drivers plays an important part in attempts to reduce or prevent road crashes," she said.
Dhoogra said there had also been a steep rise in the number of public transport collisions. She called for ongoing driver training and regular vehicle maintenance.
"Properly trained drivers in roadworthy vehicles perform better. They anticipate risks, and are better able to safely negotiate hazards," she said.
Road incident management systems, visible policing, and the deployment of emergency, rescue, medical and disaster management, as well as breakdown services, are heightened during peak traffic periods on the N3TC.
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