You can say much about the character of a person by observing the way that he drives…I did not pay much attention to this piece of advice until recently. Load shedding has however revealed the sad truth – we have many inconsiderate and selfish drivers on the road!

I am rather polite most of the time – and will refrain from referring to fellow road users as “idiots” – but perhaps politeness does not quite cut it….If you are one of these drivers – the following road safety suggestions are for you!

Road Safety during load shedding:

• If traffic lights are out of order / not working etc – the crossing becomes a stop street / [four way stop!]
• This means that you have to follow the Rules of the Road for a four way stop
• Even if there is no traffic from the other roads –You still need to stop!
• If the vehicle in front of you cross the intersection – you would have to allow the vehicles from the other stops to enter the crossing before you can make your move
• This might mean that you have to wait for 3 other vehicles from 3 different directions to pass
• Be polite and pass swiftly whilst still cautious of possible offenders
• Be alert to the sequence of vehicles from other directions approaching the intersection

And the big NO’s

- Do not tailgate the vehicle in front of you to slip through under the radar
- Be alert to innocent mistakes – do not become a victim of road rage
- Refrain from rude gestures

Remember the following

- We are all annoyed with load shedding – but we also have the same objective – to arrive alive at our destinations
- You are not more important than other road users -they might also be under stress with urgent appointments to attend
- Be respectful to traffic officials and pointsmen trying to assist motorists at intersections

Load shedding is awful – Do not shed your manners as well!!

[ Visit the Arrive Alive Road Safety Website and the Road Safety Blog for more information on road safety]

Also view “Road Safety and Load Shedding”