It is alarming to know that more than half of the vehicles on the road might not be insured! The crime statistics in South Africa provide more than enough reason for any responsible vehicle owner to purchase insurance! Not only do we need insurance against the risk of theft and hijacking – but also to cover damages incurred from road crashes.

Over the last couple of years the cost of repairs has increased dramatically and there has been a significant increase in the average cost of a claim. An increase in vehicle theft, accidents and rising repair costs force insurance companies to recalculate the risk and cost of insuring our vehicles.

Common sense dictates that you cannot afford to drive an uninsured vehicle. If you are an uninsured driver, you alone are responsible for covering the costs of repairing your car or even buying a new one if it is seriously damaged. You will also bear the legal costs of trying to claim damages from another uninsured driver without the assistance of an insurer.

It is important to see insurance as a necessity – and something which needs to be acquired at the time of purchase – not a month later!

The Arrive Alive road safety website has made available information to guide car owners about “car insurance and road safety”. May this assist road users to concentrate on the road rather than think about and confront additional financial threats!

The head of Ericsson Southern Africa’s marketing unit was killed when his Ultima Spyder, reported to be a British-manufactured kit car, burst into flames after colliding with a Lamborghini on Sandton’s William Nicol Drive. The Spyder burst through a fence, rolled, came to a standstill in the veld and burst into flames.

There was only slight damage to the Lamborghini.

More information on this is available at “Sports cars in dice of death”

What would the effect of the economic downturn be on road safety? Would we be able to replace our worn-out tyres in time or would many road users extend this for another thousand kilometres…? With so many non-roadworthy vehicles and overloaded taxis on the road this is indeed a cause for concern!

I remember that someone once explained the importance of tyre safety by illustrating the part of a vehicle that is in touch with the road surface. This is no more than 4 pieces of an A4 piece of paper! If you are driving a vehicle at 120km/h it becomes important that this contact is accurate and that it will enable you to steer and brake safely!

On the Arrive Alive website we have previously added various bits and pieces about tyre safety and decided to do some maintenance work with a new section titled “Road Safety and Tyre Safety”.

We would like to urge all our road users to follow strict discipline with regards to inspecting and maintaining proper tyre safety! This is something to be done regularly and with the assistance of the tyre safety experts. May we not neglect these most important components of road safety!

Early yesterday morning a Top 100 SA Company requested information about pregnancy and safe driving. Content was developed and added to the Arrive Alive website about aspects such as wearing of seatbelts, airbags etc. We would also like to add a few bits of advice on Car Blog with regards to adjustments within the vehicle of the mother-to-be:

• Make sure your seat is positioned comfortable and not too close to the steering wheel (in case of an accident and the air bag deploys).
• Leave some space (at least 10 cm) between your belly and steering wheel, bend back slightly. [Whilst still able to observe]
• If possible -use a vehicle with adjustable steering wheels and seats so that you can customize your seating position to optimize your control over the car.
• Check your view out of your mirrors if you push your seat back or change the height of the steering wheel.
• Make sure that after you adjust your seat you can still comfortably reach the accelerator, brake, and clutch – if you are stretching to reach the pedals, it could affect your reaction time.
• Remove coats or jackets that restrict your ability to move freely behind the wheel and learn to rely on the heating system of the vehicle to keep you warm.
• Always wear your seatbelt and leave air bags operational / turned –on!

Operational activities at an accident scene are also described as “Incident Management” – a term used to describe the process whereby a set of coordinated activities are initiated when an incident occurs on a road network, in order to minimise the direct and secondary effects of the incident, as well as to restore traffic to normal operating conditions.

As road users we need to be aware of the importance of accident scene safety and why we need to do everything possible to allow time and space for emergency personnel. The first hour after an accident is called the Golden Hour – physicians say seriously injured car crash victims need to reach comprehensive medical care within 60 minutes to ensure a good chance of survival. At the accident scene, this scenario leaves about 12 minutes for rescuers to extricate the wounded and speed them toward the hospital.
Sensitive, competent handling of victims in the immediate aftermath of the accident can have a tremendous impact on both the victim’s subsequent psychological recovery and on law enforcement efforts to solve the case.

On the Arrive Alive road safety website we have added a section on “Accident Scene Safety”. We would like to invite all motorists to gain awareness on safe behaviour near accident scenes!

Doing research on rail/ level crossings and road safety, I have come across interesting data. Approximately 95% of accidents are caused by driver error – and these are inattention, driver distraction, risk taking, disobeying or lack of knowledge of the road rules and sometimes suicide.

Some of the facts are:

• Stopping distance: Trains can’t stop within 1.5 km
• Relative size: If trains were cars you would look like a soda can
• Number of level crossings: There are 7500 level crossings in South Africa
• Number of fatalities: 13 persons were killed last year in 129 incidents

Why do we say there is no contest? – it is obvious that there are a significant size difference – but for the best display on what happens when a train crashes into a motor vehicle we have to refer to our Top Gear experts and a video clip titled “Top Gear Level Crossing Public Service Film”

Hello I am DJ Ready D from Mzanzi Ridez, a self confessed Hip Hop and Motorcar junkie. I am grateful to be in your company, but I do hot wish to be cured.

Planet earth is on the brink of a recession with rising interest hikes, fuel, food and all the other basic necessities that keeps the human race functional. In Mzanzi, Eskom is knocking the masses lights out.

On the flipside we have a breed known as Motorheadz that refuse to be left in the dark. My passion and job led to encounters with builders and drivers the world over. Not so long ago we traveled to L.A and Las Vegas to cover the custom car scene. Our week in L.A. was a good run up for the main event nearly 500km away. Passion for cars was evident on every street, round every corner and most car dealerships. SUV’s on 24inch chrome rollers became a regular sight. Porsches ran the streets on Santa Monica and they where as common as City Golfs in South Africa. We dropped in at places like Platinum Motor sport to witness Bentleys, Benzos and Lambo’s get ripped to the gut and rebuilt for SEMA in Las Vegas. (more…)

Would you like to be more acquainted with your off-road vehicle? Looking for some off-road adventure? Keen on some entertaining and educating 4×4 assistance on all terrains? Land Rover Experience Western Province have recently launched their web site and they offer fantastic courses for all 4×4 enthusiasts, be it Land Rover or any other off-road vehicles.

Clients who own a valid South African code 08 driver’s license (or the equivalent International driver’s license) can build their skills and confidence so that they may use their vehicles safely and over a variety of off-road terrains.

Courses available are: Level 1, Level 2, Sand and sand recovery, Recovery course, Trailer handling and Advance driving. We aim at creating harmony between the capabilities of man and machine, each able to respond to the needs of the other to produce the desired result.

Corporate events and team building can easily be arranged for top clients and / or employees, with Team Discovery offering an effective process to inspire and encourage individuals and teams to achieve ongoing success. Designed to meet your special needs, whether driving or team building.

Land Rover Experience WP also supports the ‘Fragile Earth‘ -initiative in conjunction with numerous Global Environmental Sponsorship Partners, like the ‘Born Free Foundation’, the ‘Bioshpere Expeditions’, ‘Earthwatch’ and the ‘Royal Geographical Society’.

The Land Rover Experience is known for the grueling G4 Challenge and the Land Rover Global Challenge.

Visit the Land Rover Experience website for more