Driving in South Africa
By Eugene Herbert. Welcome to one of the most diverse countries in the sub continent of Africa. While enjoying the beauty of its cities and countryside there are a few points you may like to bear in mind with regard to your personal safety.
Obviously your gateway in most instances will be via Johannesburg International Airport which, at the time of writing, was undergoing massive changes to the exit routes from the airport building. If you are picking up a rental car be sure to ask for an update from the car hire agent who should be up to speed on the current status.
If driving, and we assume that most travelers will be, make sure that you acquire a decent map of Johannesburg and all it's feeder roads. Its infinitely preferable to spend a few moments planning the route and identifying the route marking numbers (these don’t change but the names are undergoing change) you will need to follow. In fact, all the satellite navigation systems reflect theses details on their screens.
Now that you are about to embark on your journey be aware of the following: statistically, as a driver of a vehicle, the likelihood of a driver being car-jacked is 1 in 59. Seems frightening at first glance but realistically we have found that this can be substantially minimised if not almost entirely prevented.
Hijacking In The Cities:
Jo'berg (now newly named) is the highest probability with urban following a some distance behind with Pretoria and Cape Town somewhat on a par.
Jo'berg is located some 25 kms from the airport therefore it is recommended that the centre of the town be avoided – altogether if possible. That said even the surrounding suburbs, where many of the better hotels are located, are at risk because of the following: 22 % of car jackings occur at intersections.
Drivers are encouraged to be particularly vigilant when it comes to crossing these. The informal trading sector have taken up their station at intersections where anything from refuse bags to cell phone accessories can be bought. Since this can be rather confusing, never mind threatening, drivers should slow down on their approach to an intersection, thereby giving themselves time and space within which to assess and react (if necessary).
A slow approach will enable the driver to observe the actions (more importantly the body language) of vendors. Its good practice to establish eye contact, acknowledge them, and tactfully decline goods on offer. Windows are always closed (open 5cm at most) with doors locked.
The old saying of “If you act like a victim you will be a victim” is no less true in this instance. By doing the opposite one can virtually be assured of the opposite. “If you don’t act like a victim, in all probability you wont be”. It would also be wise to identify escape routes while driving into an intersection. This is when the obvious benefits of studying a may before hand is undertaken. If you know where you are going you can position the vehicle to provide maximum freedom of movement – thereby facilitating a quick “getaway” if necessary.
While we can confidently say that tourists are not really targeted as hijack victims they could inadvertently be driving a vehicle which is being sought by one of the criminal syndicates. One of the favourite tactics employed by a carjacker is for the perpetrator to bump a vehicle from the rear when it is stopped. Damage is of course probably non existent but the shock and surprise give most drivers a “knee jerk” reaction. That’s correct, they jump out, either to assess the damage or confront the driver. The accomplice will then jump in and drive away.
A practice that will go a long way in minimising success in such an event is for the driver to make judicious use of the rear view mirrors in observing the actions of following vehicles. If for any reason the driver feels uncomfortable in such an event they should drive to the nearest safe place (by definition, a place where there is lot of activity) after having indicated for the guilty vehicle to follow.
That way if the accident is legitimate all will be ok. If not the perpetrator will feel that have been “made” and disappear.
In closing, drivers are encouraged to carefully check out with people in the know before taking a particular road. The locals normally have knowledge of what is safe or not. Good planning and a healthy dose of common sense will go a long way of guaranteeing a safe driving experience.
NB: Drive nice its contagious. Article courtesy of RAC, South Africa: RAC has grown - as a result of several years spent in recovering stolen vehicles on behalf of major corporations - to a multifaceted risk management operation. Visit their site: RAC STOP hijack.com.
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