The biggest road trip mistakes that South Africans make – including starting out too early
The festive season is upon us, and Discovery Insure has highlighted some of the biggest mistakes that drivers make at this time of year.
Discovery Insure’s new Drive Trends research is an analysis of Discovery Insure Vitality Drive members’ driving behaviour data and covers the year-end holidays (from 1 December to 31 January) from 2021 to 2023.
Notably, the data shows that speeding has a minimal impact on arriving at your destination faster and it also increases the likelihood of being in an accident.
“Our report reveals a 26% increase in speeding over the holiday period, which we define as driving at least 10 km/h over the speed limit, as drivers take advantage of open roads and less traffic,” said Robert Attwell, Discovery Insure CEO.
“During the December-January period, people are understandably eager to get to their holiday destinations as soon as possible.
“However, compared to those who stick to the speed limit, we found that those who speed only saved two to four minutes per hour travelled, depending on traffic. We encourage drivers to rather enjoy the journey and take a relaxed, safe trip down to the coast to avoid risking you and your passengers’ safety.”
The analysis also showed that the most common road trip over the festive season in South Africa is from Johannesburg to Durban, with over half of these trips taking place between 15 and 24 December.
“Our data shows that the trip from Johannesburg to Durban takes around six hours and 30 minutes, including one rest stop, which takes an average of 37 minutes,” said Attwell.
“Around 7% of drivers make the journey in one go, which gives only a marginal time-saving.”
People who don’t have a rest stop drive 36% more aggressively in the second half of their trip than those who have rested.
“Rather take a break so you are rested and alert, minimising your risk of unfocused driving that could lead to an accident. Taking a half-hour break doesn’t delay your trip much at all.”
The report also shows that most people drive back to Joburg from Durban between the 2nd and the 5th of January.
The trip takes about six hours and 21 minutes and includes an average rest stop of 34 minutes.
Most people return from Durban on 2 January, making it the busiest day on the roads to drive back to Johannesburg.
“If possible, delay your return trip by a few days. As we get closer to 7 January, our data shows there are half as many cars on the road as on 2 January,” said Atwell.
“In the week after 7 January, there are historically only 10% as many cars as on the day after New Year’s Day. If you can work remotely or extend your stay to avoid the traffic, you can significantly reduce your accident risk and arrive home safe.”
A later start in the morning is better
Although many South Africans start their long-distance trips between 04:00 and 07:00, this may result in longer drivers.
Discovery Insure said that a departure after 08:00 results in drivers dealing with less traffic, across all journeys measured.
Nearly a third of all road trips start between 04:00 and 07:00.
To beat the traffic, it may be better to consider a late start as only 9% of trips start between 07:00 and 08:00, and 12% start after 11:00.
Read: Bad news for people earning more than R15,000 per month in South Africa
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