Inrix, a US company involved with global traffic statistics, has revealed in its 2021 Global Traffic Scorecard those cities suffering the most from heavy traffic. The Scorecard also pinpoints South Africa, regarding its cities with the worst traffic and the most dangerous roads.1
More about the Scorecard1
More than 10 months of data make up the core information of the Scorecard, and this is extrapolated to 12 months. The Scorecard also includes 3 years of historical information.
What about trends? 1
Collecting information over many years will show traffic trends concerning the world’s largest cities. The pandemic worldwide led to erratic travel, as many people worked from home. As a result, traffic dropped noticeably in 2020 but recovered later.
How did South Africa fare? 1
Cape Town came first as the most congested city in South Africa, coming 59th globally. This indicates a 50% decrease in traffic compared to before the pandemic. Johannesburg came second and 48th in the world, showing a 36% decrease. Port Elizabeth (now Gqeberha), Pietermaritzburg, and Pretoria were all in 5th position.
South Africa’s most dangerous roads1
Reports by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the Road Accident Fund (RAF) described South Africa’s most dangerous roads regarding accidents. The RAF has indicated that the most hazardous roads occur in the Eastern Cape, mainly the N2 national highway between East London and Kokstad.
Other dangerous South African roads1
These include the N1 between Polokwane and Mokopane, and between Polokwane and Makhado; the N4 between Middelburg and Belfast; the N2 from Durban to Tongaat; the N12 between Springs and Witbank; the R573 from Pretoria to Kwamihlanga; the N1 between Naboomspruit and Mokopane; and the R71 between Polokwane and Tzaneen.
When does traffic surge to all-highs? 1
The December festive season is always regarded as the busiest part of the year for motorists, with ever-increasing volumes of traffic experienced over this time with every passing year. This increase has been particularly exacerbated by the inability to go overseas due to pandemic restrictions. In addition, the closing of schools at the start of December added to the existing flood of traffic on major South African roads.
What is driving all about? 1
Physically operating a car on the road is only the tip of the iceberg. What matters is the driver’s attitude, which can either cause accidents or make the driving experience that much more pleasant. A road full of potholes can be dangerous, but what makes roads more dangerous are aggressive drivers with a complete disregard for the rules of the road. Sadly, their behaviour on the highways and roads more than often involves innocent motorists and passengers in accidents.
It is vital to road safety to drive defensively to protect human lives. But the most important issue when driving along these dangerous roads is to protect yourself financially from any car accident. PMD provides affordable car insurance products online so that you can connect at your own time and from the comfort of your home. Please find out more by contacting PMD.
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This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.