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Collaborative Action Turns the Tide on Road Fatalities

Easter 2025 Road Safety Gains Welcomed - AA The Automobile Association (AA) welcomes the significant reduction in vehicle collisions and fatalities recorded over the Easter 2025 period. These positive outcomes underscore the effectiveness of early planning, consistent law enforcement, and strong partnerships in saving lives on South African roads. According to official statistics, road crashes decreased by 32.5% while fatalities declined by 45.6% compared to Easter 2024 – making the lowest...

Easter Road Safety: Encouraging Start, Let’s Keep It Up – AA

The Automobile Association (AA) is encouraged by early indications of a significant shift in road user behaviour during the 2025 Easter travel period. Preliminary data points to a notable reduction in both collisions and fatalities, despite traffic volumes reaching their highest levels in five years. On Thursday afternoon, 17 April, traffic peaked at 2,047 vehicles per hour through the N1 toll gates. Encouragingly, the N1 corridor—long regarded as one of the country’s most hazardous...

Mixed outlook for fuel prices in January – AA

Current unaudited data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) shows a mix of increases and decreases in fuel prices for January. Commenting on the data, the Automobile Association (AA) says the data indicates that while there is a slight increase for ULP93, diesel, and illuminating paraffin prices are expected to decrease. Based on the data, ULP95 is anticipated to increase by around three cents per litre, while ULP93 is projected to increase by 11 cents per litre. Diesel prices are expected to...
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Thirty-seven percent of South African motorists say they will still choose diesel vehicles over petrol vehicles even though recent studies show up to 38 000 people die prematurely as a result of diesel engines exceeding their stated emissions standards. This is one of the findings in a recent survey we conducted.

According to the data, 56% of respondents say they prefer diesel over petrol engines, with only four percent say knowing of the deaths related to exceeding emissions standards will change their minds.

South African motorists must, however, begin to realise diesel engines may be on their way out. Internationally car makers are being forced to adhere to stringent emissions standard or face hefty fines.

These car makers are grappling with tough choices to either re-engineer existing (diesel) engines are huge costs, restrict sales of some profitable models, or risk hundreds of millions of euros in penalties. While this is not yet a big debate in South Africa, the impact of these decisions will have far-reaching consequences for the local market.

Sales of diesel vehicles also tell a story, specifically in Europe. Sales of diesel cars in Europe were sharply down in 2017 sparking concern that the decline in second-hand values would lead to a total collapse of the diesel vehicle market. Mounting pressure on international car makers to meet imminent European emissions standards for new vehicles is also foretelling the fast-tracking of the demise of these engines.

While the results of our survey still indicate a diesel favourability, we would urge motorists to carefully consider their options when buying new or used diesel vehicles. If European car makers begin reducing production of these cars, the effects will be felt on after-sales servicing, and parts. Local motorists can no longer ignore these signs which are coming through strongly from the European market.

Among the other results is that 60% of respondents say having full electric vehicles available locally is a good idea, this despite the fact that these vehicles are still relatively new to the South African market. This is a good alternative for motorists, but charge stations, and the availability of clean, reliable electricity, may play a role in decision-making.

Electric vehicles are certainly an option, especially for those conscious about the environment. However, South Africa still lags behind other countries in making charging stations readily available everywhere, especially on the scale which meets demand. And, while electricity supply seems stable for the moment, sustained availability remains a concern.

Dashcams

The same survey polled motorists on the use of dashcams (dashboard cameras) in vehicles. An astonishing 82% of respondents say this is a good idea with only five percent disliking the idea. More than 50% of those surveyed say dashcams would make them feel safer on South African roads if they were installed in their vehicles.

What is interesting is that 63% of respondents say they will support a law specifying compulsory dashcams to be installed in all motor vehicles in the country.