The long weekends are here and as we know, this time of the year is one of the busiest on South African roads. Before planning your trip and to avoid frustration and traffic jams, please take the following dates into consideration:

  • Human Rights Day: 21 March 2018
  • Easter Weekend: 29 March 2018 – 03 April 2018
  • Freedom Day long weekend: 27 April – 01 May 2018
  • Workers Day: 01 May 2018

Safety before the journey: pre-trip vehicle inspection

Before your trip

Before embarking on your well-deserved break, it’s important to ensure that your vehicle is in tip-top working condition.

Full body checkup. Schedule a full service check by a professional mechanic, to make sure that your car is roadworthy, potential hazards are identified and to prevent additional damage before it happens.

Tyre pressure. Make sure that your tyres have been pumped to the correct tyre pressure and that your tread has been assessed. If you are not sure what your vehicle’s tyre pressure is, it can usually be found on the driver’s side door, in the owner’s manual or glove compartment.

Vehicle license disc. Ensure that your license disc is up to date and visible. Don’t forget about your driver’s license – keep it in a safe and secure place so that it can easily be reached when necessary.

Turn those lights on. Ensure that your front and rear lights are working, as well as indicators, fog lights, interior lights, wiper blades and horn. If you are travelling long-distance, it’s recommended to keep your vehicle’s lights on at all times.

Emergency kit. You never know when your next roadside emergency will occur so make sure that you have a basic roadside emergency kit that includes the following items:

  • Jumper cables. Or you can carry a small, portable, lithium-ion battery with jumper cables
  • Flares or triangle reflectors
  • A litre or more of motor oil
  • First-aid kit with bandages, plasters, scissors and medications
  • Blanket or space blanket
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • Tool kit with screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrench, pocket knife
  • Tire pressure gauge
  • Paper towels
  • Spray bottle with washer fluid
  • Pen and paper
  • Granola or energy bars
  • Bottled water

Charged electronics. Make sure your mobile phone is fully charged and that you have the Matrix Emergency number stored on your mobile or in your vehicle. MX3 customers have access to Emergency roadside and medical assistance and in the event of an emergency, can alert the Matrix control room by pressing your panic button remote or by calling the control room which is available via one-touch dialling from your Matrix App.

For more information, visit the Matrix website or contact us on 011 654 8090. In the event of theft or hijacking, call 0800 111 322.