Following heavier than usual rainfall across South Africa, more potholes will be an unwelcome part of many holiday journeys. Waterlogged roads combined with increased congestion during the festive season causes road surfaces to deteriorate rapidly.
Despite this, take proactive steps to protect one’s vehicle and safety and avoid turning a well-deserved break into a roadside nightmare. The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, says: “Pothole survival starts before you even leave. Check your tyre pressure as underinflated tyres are more susceptible to pothole impacts. Look for existing damage, bulges, or worn treads.
“This includes completing a yearly balancing and wheel alignment as this bears the brunt of pothole impacts. Check your spare tyre is in good condition and that your jack, wheel spanner and puncture repair spray is there. If you have run flats, remember their limitations: you can travel at a maximum of 80km/h for approximately 80km.”

Once on the road, adapt your driving style:

* Maintain adequate following distance and increase this by at least six seconds if there are many potholes.
* Drive looking 12 seconds ahead for extra time to react.
* If numerous vehicles are moving around something, pay extra attention.
* Avoid speeding.
* Reckless driving is even more dangerous on potholed roads: driving too close to vehicles ahead, swerving between lanes and intimidating others only increases your risk.
* Watch adjacent lanes as well. Drivers can swerve into your lane to avoid potholes.
* Be cautious of suddenly swerving into another lane and, consequently, other road users.
* If you hit a pothole, watch for vibrations, pulling to one side, or unusual noises which can indicate damage.
Yet, dodging potholes is not the only thing you should do. “Reporting these potholes may help other motorists and even save a life. The Gauteng Department of Transport has an app called PotholeFixGP enabling drivers to report potholes,” says Herbert.

Other ways to report potholes include:

* Vala Zonke a national app launched by SANRAL
* Pothole Patrol App includes a Whatsapp line (084 768 4653) for reporting potholes in Johannesburg
* JRA App (Find & Fix) for all faulty infrastructure reporting
* City of Cape Town’s C3 Service Delivery App
* eThekwini Fault Reporting Tool
PotholeFixGP reported there were less than 20 000 downloads. “With a population of 16.1 million in Gauteng, this is quite low. Additionally, with over 5 000km of roads in the province, it is unlikely there were less than 40 000 potholes over the last three years.
“MasterDrive encourages all road users to download these apps and report issues* to create safer festive season journeys. Road safety is a shared responsibility and together motorists can make great strides in improving road safety. Helps change the situation, rather than simply complaining about road infrastructure,” says Herbert.
*MasterDrive strongly discourages the use of these apps while driving. Allow passengers to make the reports