Press Releases

As temperatures in specifically the northern provinces soar again today, we warn all motorists to not leave children or pets in vehicles, even for short periods of time. Temperatures in cars can climb very rapidly, and even if a window is cracked slightly open, the inside temperature will exceed outside temperatures by several degrees. Children and pets who are left in cars are vulnerable and...

Fuel prices are set for month-end decreases. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA) which was commenting on mid-month fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund. The Rand/US dollar exchange rate has had one of its flattest periods of trading in recent times. It has traded in a very narrow band between R12.30 and R12.40 to the US currency since the last week of December,...

Yet another incident of rock throwing off a bridge onto oncoming traffic in KwaZulu-Natal. According to reports, the latest incident occurred earlier this week in Glen Anil. These attacks, because this is how they must be viewed, are barbaric and cowardly. Throwing rocks off bridges onto vehicles below is extremely dangerous and can, as we have seen, cause death and severe injuries to the driver...

The reduction in road fatalities over the 2017/2018 festive period is encouraging and points to the success of certain road safety interventions across the country. We, however, concerned with the increase in the number of youth who died, and the continued high number of pedestrians who were killed. The official festive season road fatality statistics were released by Transport Minister Joe...

On 21 February Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba will deliver his Budget Speech in Parliament. Part of that speech is expected to include an announcement on increases to the General Fuel and Road Accident Fund levies, both of which are included in the price of petrol and diesel. With a budget shortfall of around R50bn in 2017, this may seem an ideal mechanism for the minister to source additional...

International fuel prices shot up by as much as 36 cents a litre in January, but were outshone by one of the strongest Rand performances in many months. As a result, South Africans can look forward to cheaper fuel prices in February. This is according to the an unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund.   International prices have risen by around 11 percent...

More than 90 percent of car owners in South African service their vehicles, with 88 percent saying they do so at the service intervals recommended by manufacturers. This information is part of the recent Vehicle Service Survey. We often speak of the necessity to service vehicles regularly, and to keep them in good running condition. This not only maintains the performance of the vehicle, but...

"It’s a luxury I can’t afford”, “It will never happen to me”, and, “I don’t believe in insurance” are just some of the reasons people give for not insuring their property or vehicles. For the uninsured these reasons may seem valid but, in the long run, may prove more costly. Between 65 and 70 percent of the estimated 12 million vehicles on South African roads are uninsured, and this...

Learning to drive used to be a rite of passage for young people. But the gradual improvement of public transport in South Africa, along with the rise of ride-sharing services, means that a driving licence is less of a necessity than it used to be for previous generations. It's still useful to have a driving licence though. If you have access to a car, a licence is an easy way to get around...

Fuel prices will increase in February, but not by as much as expected, after the Rand staged a comeback against the US dollar in late-January International oil prices remain near their recent highs, but the Rand has strengthened around ten cents against the US dollar since January 15 This has caused a marked improvement in the fuel price picture since mid-month. Petrol is expected to cost 30...

Statistics on the Easter road fatalities, released by Transport Minister Joe Maswanganyi in Pretoria this morning, are cause for great concern, and may, (when the final numbers are in), be the highest Easter death toll to date. These numbers as a sad indictment on road traffic safety and enforcement initiatives, and calls on both the government, and driving public, to take serious stock of what...

The Automobile Association (AA) welcomes the suspension of 70 officials at six vehicle testing centres in Gauteng for corruption. This is an important development in making roads safer in South Africa. Many problems associated with road safety begin and end at the licencing centres. Various administrations in the transport department have expressed concern about rampant corruption at these...