Following the success of the festive season road safety project, IMPERIAL, through its I-Pledge road safety campaign, has once again partnered with N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) to provide additional patrol vehicles to law enforcement agencies along the 415km section of the N3 Toll Route.
The five branded vehicles – provided by Europcar, a division of IMPERIAL – will offer the South African Police Services in KwaZulu-Natal and Free State; and the Mpumalanga Road Traffic Inspectorate with additional resources to increase visible law enforcement along this section of the N3, further supporting the existing resources in their provinces and N3TC’s fleet of 11 route patrol vehicles with additional route surveillance, roadside assistance and law enforcement support from April 3rd to May 1st.
In January this year N3TC reported a 75% reduction in fatalities during the festive season, showing that increased visibility of traffic officials and support personnel is a key factor in preventing road accidents, related injuries and fatalities.
“Visible law enforcement should contribute towards reducing the severity and the number of incidents on the Route and improve driver behaviour,” says Con Roux, N3TC commercial manager.
Driver fatigue, loss of concentration, speeding, substance abuse, stranded vehicles and obstructions continue to be the main contributing factors to accidents on the Route, with the 100km section between Villiers and Warden in the Free State being one of the most dangerous sections of the entire Route. “It is long, straight and remote,” adds Roux.
During the April period, four of the vehicles will manned by the KwaZulu-Natal and Free State SAPS Highway Patrol teams and one by Mpumalanga’s Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI).
Conscious commitment required from South African road users
“IMPERIAL I-Pledge is supported by over 32,500 South Africans who have pledged to make a difference by curbing their bad habits on the road and adopting a safer, friendlier attitude to fellow road users,” explains Tak Hiemstra, the company’s executive director for strategic development.
“It is only through a conscious commitment of the South African public and collaborative partnerships with entities such as N3TC that we can make our roads safer,” he adds.
The automotive and logistics group is also driving road safety awareness on Facebook and Twitter, and calls on all road users to take the I-Pledge at www.ipledge.co.za.
I-Pledge will also have a presence at the Mooi River Toll Plaza where 40,000 road safety brochures will be distributed to motorists.
Who to call in an emergency on the N3
Should motorists need to report an emergency while travelling on the N3 Toll Route between Heidelberg in Gauteng and Cedara in KwaZulu-Natal, or wish to access information or communicate with N3TC concerning any aspect of their journey, they are encouraged to save N3TC’s 24/7 Customer Careline – 0800 N3 HELP (0800 63 4357) – to their cellphones.