While there are have been occasions where officials abuse their power, the majority are simply doing their job to reduce the strain that a massive amount of infections will place on the country.

Avoid conflict

“If you need to go grocery shopping, go to the shop that is closest to you and minimise your time on the road. If you do you encounter a roadblock on one of these errands, simply explain what you’re doing and don’t immediately become confrontational,” says Eugene Herbert, managing director of MasterDrive.

READ | Sharing the road with emergency vehicles during the lockdown
 
“If you are travelling to work, make sure your employer has provided you with a Form Two permit and keep it in your car at all times. Do not abuse the permits to do things that you shouldn’t either.

“Additionally, make sure you follow other rules set out for travel: limit car occupants to two, wear a face mask if you didn’t isolate with your passengers or if an officer approaches your car,” he adds.

Unfortunately, social media abounds with videos of people who appeared to be mistreated by officials.  “In some instances, it could be true but in other instances the video shows one side of the confrontation. Ultimately, the majority of officials are upstanding and law-abiding and should you not give them reason to mistreat, you will not be mistreated in the majority of instances.

“If, however, you are immediately confrontational or annoyed with the restrictions, the chance of it ending badly are higher. Just like any other person, these officials are simply doing their job. If you provide information and the documents quickly and efficiently, the interaction will be over quickly. Certain responses will inevitably elicit certain reactions.”

If you remain suspicious of authorities, there are certain things you can do to safeguard yourself without conflict. “You are within your right to request identification from the officer at the start. You are also within your right to film the interaction, however, this could change the atmosphere between yourselves. Rather consider having your camera ready in case things go bad but avoid greeting an official with a camera in their face. 

“If you feel threatened or discriminated against at a roadblock, you can call 10111. Do not lose your temper and remain calm at all times. Remain compliant with the officer, even if you feel you are being treated unfairly. You can lodge a complaint with the IPID at a later stage. If you become aggressive, an officer could arrest you. If you can avoid this altogether and raise the issue later through formal channels, the whole incident will be much less stressful and even traumatic.”
 
Remember, this is a stressful time for South Africans. 

“While you can’t control what a police officer does, you can control your reaction. Remain calm and don’t incite the situation especially if it is already volatile,” says Herbert. 

Research conducted by SEAT UK reveals that a dog helps their owners to drive more safely, with over half (54%) of canine-owning motorists admitting that they drive more carefully with them in the car.

No distraction

Over two thirds (69%) of motorists aged 18-24 said they drive more carefully with their dog in the car.

Older drivers were least affected by their in-car canines, with 42% of over 55s saying that travelling with their dogs makes them drive in a more cautious manner.

As well as driving more cautiously, the presence of a dog in the car also appears to benefit mental health by reducing drivers’ stress levels. This could even help ease road rage for some motorists as over a third of drivers (35%) said that they feel calmer at the wheel if their dog is travelling in the car with them. 

Some motorists are still unaware of the laws around travelling with dogs in the car.

The safest companion

Over a third of dog-owning drivers were unsure whether there were any rules at all, and more than nine out of 10 didn’t know of a penalty and license point deduction. 

SEAT has a wide range of pet accessories that feature everything from dog harnesses, cargo separation grilles, and protective seat and luggage compartment covers.  

“Motorists still need to make sure they’re keeping their dogs safe while travelling too, and finding comfortable and secure in-car pet accessories to properly restrain pets is as important as using your own seat belt,” says Nigel Griggs, Head of Aftersales at SEAT UK.

Without open businesses or people on the roads, crime becomes a bit more difficult. This, however, also means that once normal activities resume, crime is likely to spike, maybe even worse than before, to make up for the 35-day lockdown.

Don’t let your guard down

As such, now that you are on the road again, do not forget the hijack awareness skills you developed pre-lockdown and continue to be aware of potential hijackers.

READ | Sharing the road with emergency vehicles during the lockdown

“Remember the three areas where you are at most risk of being hijacked: your driveway, intersections and in shopping centre parking lots. Whenever you approach one of these, be sure to be on high alert and to not let your guard down,” notes Eugene Herbert, managing director of MasterDrive.

You can reduce your risk in the following ways:

• Reverse your car: whether into your driveway or a parking spot this allows you to quickly escape in a dangerous situation. Additionally, park against a wall or a similar barrier so that someone cannot sneak up behind you.
• Park parallel to your house: be ready to leave suddenly while you wait for the gate to open.
• Be vigilant: watch your gate until it is fully closed once you pull into your garden, familiarise yourself with the people normally at your usual intersections, if someone looks different to the usual beggars and hawkers, watch them carefully, do not let people distract you at traffic lights.
• Anticipate traffic light changes: to avoid being stationary at the light.
• Blind spot: criminals often stand in your blind spot, so do not forget to glance over your shoulder even when stationary.
• Do not block yourself in: always have an escape route  
• Be ready: have your keys in your hand before you reach your parked car and do not waste time when putting your shopping in the boot.
• Assess the situation: if driving away will be difficult with high risk of something going wrong, surrendering your vehicle could be safer. It depends on the unique situation you face.

South African drivers have gained notoriety for not showing the courtesy and respect that emergency vehicles need.

READ | Drinking habits should change even after the lockdown

If you are out buying essential goods, this is what to do in this situation:

• Do not panic when you hear sirens.
• Do not stop abruptly or move out of the way recklessly, endangering yourself or other road users.
• Determine where the emergency vehicle is coming from before making your decision about where to move. Carefully assess the situation before making an impulsive move.
• If there is space in the yellow lane, don’t move into this as it’s meant for emergency vehicles.
• Never skip a red light or stop sign to make way either.
• Don’t immediately move back into your position in case another emergency vehicle is following behind.
• Under no circumstances should you refuse to move out of the way. Not only could you be threatening someone’s life but you are increasing the time it takes to reach patients.
• Never follow behind an emergency vehicle that passes you. If they suddenly stop, you are unlikely to avoid a collision.

South Africa, like many other countries around the world has seen a reduction in the number of crashes on the roads.

It isstill important to educate yourself about how to react when you see red and blue lights because emergency service workers are still under great pressure during this time.

Ensure you are neither the reason an ambulance does not arrive on time or become the one in need of an emergency vehicle.

What Car?’s testers performed six tasks, on 22 different systems, that drivers frequently do while on the move. This includes changing the temperature, zooming out on a set sat-nav route and changing from one radio station to another, with each action timed.  

The good and the bad

The research demonstrates that systems with physical buttons are much less distracting to use on the move than those that can only be altered using a touchscreen.

It took twice as long to adjust heating controls on some cars with touchscreen controls rather than physical dials. And it took up to four times longer to zoom out of the sat-nav map to view a pre-programmed route using a touchscreen than it did using a rotary dial controller.

The easiest systems for adjusting the sat-nav map were Audi’s Virtual Cockpit Plus and BMW’s iDrive, while the most fiddly was the Lexus 12.3in multimedia display.

Factors to take into account

The tests also highlighted the benefits of having a range of different ways of doing a task, so the driver can choose the most convenient for each situation. The best systems let you use physical buttons, the touchscreen or voice control to do a wide range of commands.

Using a sophisticated voice control system is the least distracting way of doing many tasks. The systems in the Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz all recognise natural speech, so you can activate them by talking and then ask them to carry out your desired task and hardly take your eyes off the road at all.

However, not all voice control systems are as intuitive or fast to respond; What Car?’s testers were looking away from the road for more than twice as long in cars with the worst systems.

Below is a complete list depicting the make, model and infotainment name as well as the score out of 30.

While it is a generous act to make the customer feel valued, from a mechanical point of view it is rather useless. Why? because all the oil is still sloshed around in the cylinder head and upper echelons of the engine when switched off. This means a full reading will almost always show.

Do it yourself

Oil can only be lost in an engine in two ways – through an oil seal leak at the bottom of the engine or directly through the exhaust. Of course this mostly applies to older cars that use more oil over its lifecycle.

The most accurate way to check your oil level is to do it yourself. The only difference is that you have to wait about 20 minutes for the engine to cool down slightly. This also allows enough time for the oil to filter its way down to the sump.

Checking the oil yourself also gives you an indication of how healthy your oil is. The last thing you want is pitch black or silver-coloured oil on your dipstick.

So if you have the time to do it yourself, familiarise yourself with what is going on under the bonnet.

Eugene Herbert, the managing director of MasterDrive, says one area where the ban on alcohol can have a drastic impact is in the cost of alcohol-related crashes on the GDP.

Costs involved

“Research from the government and public health sector says that the annual tangible and intangible cost to the country of alcohol-related harm is between 10 and 12% of the country’s GDP,” Herbert comments.

READ | The lockdown is actually a blessing for petrolheads

“What percentage of this can be specifically attributed to car crashes, is not stated. What is interesting to note is that in the Easter road crash and fatality statistics, only eleven people were arrested for drunk driving, despite a higher police presence, compared to last year’s 800 arrests.  It is clear that changing drinking behaviour can considerably impact the high crash rates in the country,” says Herbert.

The question, however, is what to do next? “While the ban on alcohol sales is very enlightening, it will not and cannot stay banned forever. Instead, we can use the data the lockdown gives us to illustrate just how detrimental drinking and driving can be. The true implications of alcohol consumption and driving compared to a period with very limited drinking and driving, cannot be denied,” says Herbert.

Positive effects

• Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town has reduced the caseload at their trauma centre by two thirds now that there are less drinking and driving accidents.
• After the first week of lockdown, doctors in Johannesburg reported little to no car crashes involving alcohol.
• An alcohol and drug abuse researcher at the SA Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Professor Charles Parry, developed a model showing a 25% reduction in trauma cases related to drinking (including injury from crimes as well as car accidents).
• A public healthcare doctor says the situation Italian doctors faced where they decided who to save and who would die is a scenario faced in South African public healthcare every day and he attributed alcohol consumption in violence and car accidents as the main reason for this.

The reduction in trauma cases across the country is propelling healthcare workers, politicians, researchers and more to push to keep the ban in place while we battle COVID-19 and for more drastic regulation after that.

“This is why gathering data and evidence of the impact that drinking and driving has on the country during a time when it was drastically reduced is so important,” Herbert continued.

“For those who still do not understand the danger of their actions, maybe a look at the stark difference between a time of drinking and time of less drinking could motivate even a small portion of them to change their ways. The decision needs to start with them.”

“If you plan on celebrating the end of lockdown by drinking, ensure it is not with driving as well. Consider the facts we have shared with introspection. If you may have been one of the people that would get behind the wheel after drinking, it is time to change. There are many ways to still enjoy yourself without risking your life, the lives of others and putting a drain on the economy,” says Herbert.

If, however, we were to compare the crash and fatality rates based on the percentages that they increased or decreased, we could paint a picture of the difference between 2019 and 2020.

Telling stats

“According to the minster, there were 70% less movement on the roads this year. Yet, the decrease in fatalities was approximately 82%, this is 12% higher than the decrease in traffic,” explains Eugene Herbert, managing director of MasterDrive.

“While, this is by no means a formal statistical analysis, it could suggest that there has been some improvement. The reason for this can also be related to the lockdown, for example, emptier roads and less reckless and dangerous drivers. The number of drivers that were arrested only decreased by an impressive 44%. This may be in part due to a higher police presence on the roads than in previous years,” he added.

As only essential service drivers were allowed to travel between provinces, it is possible that companies selected to put their better skilled drivers on the road.

Pre and post lockdown

“While the majority of South Africans are currently confined to their homes, there is another percentage that we rely on to deliver essential goods.”

Another statistic that was shared is that the majority of crashes involved pedestrians or were single-vehicle crashes.

“The single-vehicle crashes may also be as a result of obstacles in the road that may not have been there if the roads were busier. With as many people as possible on lockdown (and high rainfall in parts of the country) maintenance of the road and trimming of roadside hedges may not be taking place as needed. The key, is to drive looking 12 seconds ahead of you and identify any obstacle that could be dangerous. Do not always assume, that this is limited to other drivers only,” says Herbert.

While, this year’s statistics were drastically skewed due to the lockdown, looking at it from another perspective does provide some information.

“Unfortunately, lives were still lost. For those planning on enjoying the long weekend that comes right after lockdown is due to end, remember to drive defensively and safely so that we do not undo some of the positive news we have had during this time,” Herbert concludes.

In addition, dirty cars, empty tanks and many other factors need to be considered as you lock up your vehicle for an extended period.

Eugene Herbert, managing director of MasterDrive, says that storing a vehicle during this time can be easily achieved.

READ | The lockdown is actually a blessing for petrolheads

“If, however, you do not properly care for your vehicle during long periods where the car is not in use, it can result in additional maintenance and servicing costs,” says Herbert.

Steps you can take

• Preferably fill up the petrol tank – The fuller the tank, the less likely it is that moist air will get into the engine forming condensation and possibly rust.
• Maintain the charge in your battery – Every week or so, start the vehicle and let it run for five minutes. If your car is in the garage, be sure to open the garage door first. For batteries in good condition, you should not have a problem. Older batteries may need to be charged before you drive again.
• Another option is to disconnect the battery until you are ready to use the vehicle.
• Close doors and windows – This prevent bugs or small animals from getting into the car.
• Give your vehicle a good clean before parking it away – Wash off dust and animal droppings from the exterior if parked outside, to prevent damage to the paintwork and empty the interior to prevent nasty surprises when you get in again.
• Cover your vehicle – This is especially so if you only park under a carport or in the open but even vehicles parked inside a garage will collect dust. If you do not have a cover for your car, use an alternative such as a large sheet. Something is better than nothing.

Spend some time on your vehicles so that they are ready to go once lockdown is lifted.

“You can quickly and easily prepare your vehicle. If you have not already done so, it might worth your while to spend some time on your car,” Herbert concludes.

Pretty weird name for something so simple but how it got its name makes some sense. The test consists of the car and driver making sudden turning movement at high speed to avoid an object, most likely a moose or Elk, that might be in the road. Alternatively and more simply, it can be called the Evasive Manoeuvre Test.

Safety is top priority

Most cars pass the test with flying colours but there are some that don’t and in some cases, even ended up on its roof. The car’s steering and electronic stability programme (ESP) is put under pressure to see how well it copes in such a scenario. Below are a few of the unlucky ones:

1. Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz vehicles are normally the safest cars on the road but 1997 was a year in particular they’d like to forget. The A-Class, the brand’s first front-wheel-drive at the time, was met with excitement by the public and people were eager to get their hands on the ‘not so good looking’ compact car.

As far as the official test went, it failed miserably. Its wheels got dangerously off the ground and on all counts looked as if it would flip over. Fortunately it didn’t on that occasion but journalist Robert Collin managed to do so on another. The car lacked the necessary stability control and suspension work needed to pass the test and more importantly, keep people safe. The German manufacturer made the much-needed improvements and the rest as they say, is history.

2. Toyota Hilux

It might be South Africa’s best-seller according to Naamsa sales but the new Hilux didn’t cover itself in glory when it came to dodging an imaginary Moose. One would assume a bakkie’s weight would keep it planted on the road but judging by the video, it went down a similar route as Mercedes-Benz’ ‘smart car’.

According to the driver, the reason for the instability is down to the bigger 18-inch tyres it had fitted and the presence of a proper anti-rollover system. This is not the first Hilux to do this so leaving the problem unattended is a matter of concern. On the other hand, the likes of the VW Amarok and Ford Ranger all passed with flying colours – salt in the wound maybe?

3. Toyota RAV4

Yet another Toyota unfortunately finds itself on this list. It’s test is not as bad as the previous examples, but it behaved erratically when correcting the car. Toyota has since developed a fix for the SUV’s Electronic Stability Control system.

While many of us won’t be swerving out of the way of a Moose, these tests have to be conducted to see how a vehicle’s safety features react in real-life situations.

People use this test as a barometer when buying a vehicle and with good reason because it can mean the difference between life and death.