South Africa’s Easter holidays are fast approaching and with the roads expected to be heavily congested, motorists and fleet managers need to pay even closer attention to safety while still maintaining efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
As an advocate for safer roads, Michelin has shared its top tips for both fleet owners and long-distance truck drivers on how to adequately prepare for peak season, bearing in mind lessons learned from recent road data and safety research.
Michelin noted that in 2022, 77% of all light motor vehicle crashes on the N3 and 85% of all truck crashes on the N3 were attributed to human error. In the same period, trucks were involved in 57.3% of all crashes on the N3 toll route.
In addition, a study by the Road Traffic Management Corporation showed that heavy load vehicles with a gross vehicle mass above 3 500 kilograms accounted for 9.4% of all fatal crashes on South African roads, but make up just 3.3% of the vehicles recorded on our roads.
Factors contributing to these accidents include driver fatigue, vehicle maintenance issues, and adverse weather conditions. Addressing these challenges requires proactive measures and innovative solutions that promote safer driving practices and reduce accident rates.
“Peak holiday seasons can mean safer roads as well as efficiency and cost-effectiveness for road freight businesses – it’s all about implementing the right solutions with the right partner,” said Charl Lensley, Michelin Business to Business Sales Director.
Before making a trip, truck drivers should do a pre-trip inspection to ensure that there are no visible problems on the truck.
Some of these include making sure that tyres are correctly inflated and not damaged, wheel nuts are tight, and that the wheels are not damaged – they do not have cuts or bulges in the sidewalls and that there is adequate tread depth.
This is vitally important as tyres are the only contact the truck has with the road.
When it comes to driver behaviour, fleet operators can rely on the latest fleet management services and solutions to assist drivers on long trips.
An advanced fleet management solution should include driving behaviour tools that help drivers to be proactive and make the correct decisions on the road. These include adhering to speed limits, reducing harsh braking, and utilising in-cab cameras to identify driver fatigue.
Michelin Connected Fleet Country Manager, Shivani Pillay, said: "A majority of accidents on South African roads are still caused by human error, but thanks to the use of smart technologies, we can support truck drivers and fleet operators in playing their role to create safer roads in the country.
“Smart camera solutions can help identify potential hazards such as unsafe following distances, road infringements like not wearing a seatbelt, or using a cellphone while driving. Drivers and fleet operators can receive immediate alerts to correct these incorrect behaviours."
In addition, advanced fleet management solutions allow fleet operators to leverage their mobility data to gain valuable insights, offering insights into vehicle performance, tyre maintenance needs and optimised route planning, further supporting drivers in their journey towards safer and more efficient transportation.
