While we’re all wining (and whining) by candlelight during Stage 6 Load Shedding, the last thing on your mind is how load shedding affects our roads.
Turns out load shedding also makes driving less safe:
- Traffic lights go out, decreasing visibility
- Mobile networks cut out and our Google Maps and Waze apps stop working properly
- Traffic picks up and road users become frustrated, heightening the risk of accidents
While load shedding is a dark reality, we can arm ourselves with tips & tricks to keep calm, carry on and arrive at our destinations safely.
We recommend implementing the following safety measures:
- Make sure your phone is fully charged before you hit the road, or invest in a good USB power bank.
- Remember that when traffic lights are out, you need to treat an intersection like a four-way stop. Also – don’t expect other people to follow the rules. Be extra cautious and vigilant when crossing.
- Download your routes. Google Maps allows you to download maps of certain areas and neighbourhoods to your phone so that they can be accessed offline. It’s important to note that you will need to be connected to the Internet in order to save these maps to your device. But once they’ve been downloaded, you’ll be able to access them anytime, whether your phone is online or offline.
- If you know you’re about to get stuck in traffic, calm down & make the most out of it! Call up a friend for a cup of coffee while you wait for traffic to die down or simply use that time to listen to an episode of your favourite podcast.
The days are dark, yes, mara there’s a bright side – good ol’ South African humour. I’d highly recommend searching #loadsheddingmemes on Twitter 😂
Stay safe & warm this week, Mzansi! 🇿🇦
Jono
