Are you ready to re-take your driving test?
On 9 April, Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters said traffic officers may be given authority to re-test South African drivers to see if they meet necessary standards. Peters hopes such a law will seed out bad drivers from our society who may be part of the reason for South Africa’s alarmingly high road fatalities. The story made headlines and citizens are doubtful, enraged or amused by the prospect of a metro officer re-testing their driving ability. Irrespective of which group you fall into, if you were pulled over by an officer and asked to demonstrate your driving ability, would you pass?
The unfortunate truth for many South Africans, is they probably would not. While you may not be the guy driving 200km/h on the highway at 4am, how sure are you that your driving is not marred by bad habits? Do you still pull up your handbrake at robots? What is the correct following distance? Do you still pull your handbrake up when you stop on an incline? If you are not 100% sure, it might be time to go on a refresher course.
Experts involved in reducing the number of car crashes in countries like Germany and France, believe the tool to creating better drivers is education. “If drivers know and understand why rules of the road are there, it creates a greater sense of respect and larger willingness to obey road rules. Refresher courses can help you not only rectify your mistakes and bad habits but allow you to understand why they are so dangerous,” says the managing director of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert.
If you passed your K53 driving test, you know you are not allowed to cross your hands over the steering wheel. This rule is not there to make your life more difficult but to prevent you from punching yourself in the face at over 300km/h when your airbag deploys in a crash. A car travelling at 60km/h will come to a stop after 45m. A car travelling at 70km/h, just 10km more, will take 57m to come to a stop. If a pedestrian was 50m in front of these cars, the first car should just miss but the second car would hit that person at a speed of 45km/h.
“Irrespective of whether this law is passed or not, reducing the carnage on our roads is not only up to lawmakers but us as well. Whether you are an individual or own a business, we can all play our role in changing the state of driving in South Africa. Society’s role is to ensure they are properly educated on the rules and regulations of the roads as well as the finer points of avoiding collisions,” says Herbert.
If you feel you could benefit from a K53 remedial course contact MasterDrive on 011 867 4778. They have a number of courses on offer.