- ‘Ensure your vehicles are road worthy before setting off on a journey’
In this week’s segment of the road safety campaign – we focus on vehicle road worthiness, a critical component for safety on the roads. This as travel has started in earnest – with police reporting increased vehicle numbers on the roads ahead of the festive holidays.
Superintendent Oathusa Tshotlego, District No 5 Traffic Officer continues this week, sharing road safety messages on Operation Pabalesego with a special focus on Vehicle roadworthiness. Tshotlego holds a view that road traffic safety hinges on the operation of road worthy vehicles, and to a larger extent, drivers fit for purpose.
Tshotlego has highlighted that for a vehicle to perform all the functions its designed for, it has to be safe and worthy for such operation, adding that any fault on its operational capability renders it unsafe and unworthy for operation. Consequently, the operation of such on the roads constitutes a road safety offence, and above all, a safety risk.
Tshotlego catalogued some of the components of the vehicle that constitute a road worthy vehicle and among them are: good tyres, functional braking system, functional brake lights, indicators, headlights, and wipers.
In respect to tyres, there is no short cut – all tyres have to be properly fitted, maintained and of uniform size, type, brand, and inflated to the same pressure to enhance the aspect of balance.
In respect to brake lights, Tshotlego highlighted the importance of having brake lights and indicators fully functional as they serve as communicating tools with other road users. Brake lights are designed to communicate with other vehicles; the other’s intention to stop, allowing them time to prepare to stop and avoid collisions. Any vehicle without brake lights violates the Road Traffic Act and becomes safety risky, therefore must not be on the roads.
Indicators, like brake lights also serve as a vehicle communication medium with other road users. They serve to convey the driver’s intention to turn, or maneuver right, left and even in instances where the vehicle overtakes. Indicators avert collisions at road junctions and traffic circles.
Headlights have been designed to provide clear visibility at night, and drivers are advised to ensure their lights function properly. To achieve their effective function, both the high and driving beams have to be properly set. Also, part of the lights are the park lights – made to ensure the vehicle is visible to other road users when parked on the road side at night.
Wipers – These have been made to ensure clearer visibility when it rains, by wiping off excess run off water from the windscreens. Driving a vehicle with dysfunctional wipers endangers both the driver and other road users.
Lastly, the Braking System which forms part of critical components of vehicle worthiness – designed to ensure a vehicle stops as and when they are applied – within a certain time and distance to avoid collisions with other road users and objects. The braking component also includes parking brakes, normally referred to as hand brakes which are a safety feature designed to ensure vehicles do not roll when parked.
Tshotlego, has however cautioned that a road worthy vehicle would still be a hazard when in the hands of a driver unfit for purpose. He emphasised the importance of a driver fit in spirit, body in mind to safely operate a road worthy vehicle for the overall goal of attaining road safety.
Further, Tshotlego warned that the law will take its course when vehicles and drivers are found wanting in terms of road worthiness of their vehicles and their fitness to safely drive them. He cited the Road Traffic Act which criminalises driving a vehicle that is not road worthy.
