Press Releases
The Automobile Association (AA) advocates for consumer rights. It also provides useful information to consumers on all aspects of mobility and road use. Read our articles below for more information.
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Suspension of 70 testing officials in Johannesburg should only be the start
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...
The petrol price – all you need to know
Taxes make up big part of the price you pay at the pump As of tonight (SUBS: 5 April) South African motorists will receive a 24 cents a litre decrease in the price of petrol. But this decrease could have been much more significant had fuel taxes not increased at the same time. In his budget speech in February, former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced that the General Fuel Levy would...
Brace for another fuel hike
Fuel prices are set for another hike at the end of January. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA), which was commenting on unaudited mid-month fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund (CEF). The Rand / US dollar exchange rate has firmed slightly since the start of January 2017, But international oil prices have surged ahead by a far greater margin. We predict that...
New Transport appointment: more questions than answers
Last night’s Cabinet reshuffle has left more questions than answers for motorists, who, among other things, are today, left wondering why the former Minister of Transport, Dipou Peters, was replaced, the Automobile Association (AA) said. President Jacob Zuma made a number of significant changes to his Cabinet late last night including replacing Ms Peters with Mr Joe Maswanganyi, who currently...
Time for talking is gone
The increase in road deaths over the 2016/17 festive period is cause for great concern and points to the lack of a proper road safety strategy to deal with the carnage. This is the view of the Automobile Association (AA) which was commenting on the road fatality statistics release by Transport Minister Dipuo Peters in Midrand today. According to the Minister 1714 people died on South African...
The end of the year is here – are you and your car ready for the holidays?
Public schools across South Africa close for the end-of-year holidays on 6 December, meaning thousands of motorists will undoubtedly be on the roads soon thereafter. This time of the year going into January is also the most dangerous of the year, with more people involved in fatal crashes now than at any other time. It’s for this reason the Automobile Association (AA) urges all motorists to...
Fuel set to jump on Rand, oil woes
Unaudited mid-month fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund (CEF) is forecasting a sharp jump in fuel prices at the end of November. This is according to the Automobile Association, which says that motorists cannot expect much respite from a weakening domestic picture. The Rand is testing one-year lows against the US dollar. In addition, there have been heavy increases in...
Global NCAP and AA South Africa launch #SaferCarsforAfrica
Global NCAP and AA South Africa launch #SaferCarsforAfrica Global NCAP and AA South Africa launch #SaferCarsforAfrica today (22) in Cape Town, with the first independent crash test assessment of some of South Africa’s most popular compact and small cars. The crashworthiness results of the five cars tested show a wide range of safety performance, from four to zero stars for adult protection, with...
Fuel price blues as oil, Rand bite
Sharp movements in international petroleum prices have combined with a weakening Rand to push fuel prices higher for December. This is according to the Automobile Association (AA), commenting on unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund (CEF). Oil has continued the strong run we have seen throughout November and the trend remains upwards. The Rand has followed a...
See and be seen! Daytime running lamps
Visibility is key to reaction time; it is critical to see and be seen. That’s why daytime running lamps are a compulsory standard of so many European countries, and not reliant on a driver’s judgement on when to switch on headlamps in varying light conditions. Daytime running lamps are not compulsory in South Africa. Regulation 161 A (1) states that they may be fitted to any motor vehicle except...
Exhaust smoke – an engine’s distress signal
Diesel or petrol engine exhaust gases should be colorless. Any smoke colour emanating from an exhaust signals that it is not running properly, or even close to mechanical failure. What do exhaust smoke emissions really mean? Black smoke is a sign of engine over-fueling. This can be a malfunctioning injector, a restricted air supply or clogged intercooler. For a sound technical reason, excess...
Change of behaviour needed to curb shocking annual fatality numbers
Since the start of December, road crashes around the country have claimed the lives of many people, including ten people who died when the taxi they were travelling in collided with cows in Mbombela last Friday. The current situation, is untenable, and it urges all motorists to change their behaviour ahead of the expected festive season traffic rush. Every day seems to bring another story of a...
