Increase in spike-related incidents: Safety tips for South African drivers

Motorists are urged to be vigilant on the road following an increase in spike-related incidents across the country.

"Over recent months spiking has significantly increased on South African roads. Drivers are encouraged to avoid driving at night when spiking is more common. Recent videos, however, have shown it happens during the day as well," said MasterDrive CEO, Eugene Herbert.

He said the challenge with spikes is that they are difficult to see and can be covered by various other items.

"While remaining vigilant is important to reduce your chance of falling victim to spiking, the unfortunate reality is that often it is unavoidable," Herbert said.

Last year AfriForum compiled a map with areas known for spiking incidents.

Pretoria News reported several incidents on national roads including the N1, N12, N14, N4, R566 and R80.

Tips if you're driving on the highway

• Avoid driving over anything in the road like plastic bags or discarded clothing as spikes can be concealed under these
• If there is another vehicle in front of you, drive six seconds or more behind so their driving can alert you if anything is amiss. Sudden brake lights are a good indicator that something may be wrong
• If the circumstances allow, travel straddling two lanes as it may help you miss spikes placed in the lane
• When passing under a bridge, change lanes just before you pass underneath
• Reduce your speed to increase your chances of seeing obstacles in the road and give yourself extra time to respond
• Ensure you are driving within your headlight’s capacity to see (and react) to any obstacles that may be there
• If you spot an obstacle before you reach it, move lanes or into the emergency lane if the highway allows for it
• If you do hit a spike, reduce your speed to approximately 40km/h and continue driving for as long as possible
• Continue driving to the nearest place of safety – do not stop
• If you do not make it to a place of safety but do obtain some distance between yourself and the criminals, get out of your car and safely find a place to conceal yourself and call for help. Do not panic or engage with the criminals
• Concrete lintels are being used as well. If you cannot avoid them any other way, slow down and carefully attempt to drive over them

If you're driving in a rural area

• Only drive on these roads if absolutely necessary. Route planning and following social media groups may provide useful information to assist with this
• If the road is quiet enough and safety allows for it, drive in the opposite lane to move around suspicious items
• Move onto the grass verge if you cannot move around it or safety does not allow other manoeuvres
• Reduce your speed and try stay below 80km/h
• Once you have safely moved past the spikes, contact authorities to prevent any other motorists falling victim

seanne.rall@iol.co.za

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