Traffic congestion is strangling SA’s highways
What are you doing to help ease traffic congestion?
New-vehicle sales may be down but, come peak hour, many of the country’s roads have begun to resemble parking lots: aint nothin’ movin’. Bumper-to-bumper traffic has become a daily reality for many of us, and the situation is unlikely to improve any time soon. Congestion has become a global curse, and South Africa is not immune to commuter chaos. When it comes to surviving gridlock, forewarned is definitely forearmed. Here are some tips for staying sane.
Plan your route
Make sure you know exactly how to reach your destination, either by using a navigation system or looking up your route in old-fashioned map-book before you set off. Not only is it unsafe to read while driving, but you stand a good chance of getting lost – a hassle, and also potentially dangerous.
Give yourself time
It doesn’t make sense to leave for a meeting at the very last minute, praying the roads will be clear – Murphy’s Law dictates that you have an excellent chance of getting stuck in slow-moving traffic. Rather, leave 15 minutes earlier than you first intended. If you’re a little early on arrival, take the time to breathe deeply, calm down and centre yourself.
Share a ride
Arrange a lift-club with a colleague. This way, you’ll help reduce congestion and your drive to and from work will be fun (and cost-cutting) instead of frustrating.
Get good vibes
Stock your car with your favourite music in the form of an MP3 player, iPod or your favourite CDs, or simply tune into a radio station you enjoy. Alternatively, if you’re taking longer trips, join the Listeners Library and pass the hours taking in an audio novel.
Work from home
If possible, work from home and avoid the traffic altogether. Studies across the globe indicate that this makes sense – and cents. If you can’t arrange to work from home full-time, ask your employer to allow you to do so at certain times, pointing out that you’ll be much more productive in the long run.
Shop online
Do you really need to drive for 20 minutes to pick up groceries (and probably end up buying lots of extra things you don’t need)? Internet shopping has become super-easy, and an excellent reason to leave your car in the garage – and save yourself time in the process.
Chill!
There is absolutely no point in stressing about the traffic. It won’t make you get there any faster – but it will get your heart-rate up and give you a tension headache. Prepare yourself mentally for delays when you know they are likely, warn people that you might be a little late, and then take a deep breath and stay cool. You will reach your destination… eventually.
By Charlene Clarke