Combined measures are required to effectively combat road safety threats

As a primary freight transport- and tourism corridor, the N3 Toll Route carries high volumes of traffic daily, with the numbers increasing sharply over peak travel seasons such as long weekends and holiday seasons as more public transport vehicles and leisure travellers make their way via the N3 to many of South Africa’s rural areas and popular tourist destinations. This may contribute to challenging traffic conditions.

“Our priority is always the safety, convenience and mobility of all road users,” explains Thania Dhoogra, operations manager of N3 Toll Concession (N3TC). “We continuously undertake numerous interventions to improve road safety and to protect our infrastructure assets.”

However, despite the many ongoing initiatives, incidents such as crashes, vehicle fires, chemical spills and more, continue to contribute to traffic congestion, disruptions, delays, and additional recovery, road repair and maintenance costs.

“We can design and build world-class roads and vehicles may be fitted with the best safety features, but if road users don’t commit to playing their part, our roads will never be safe,” continues Ms Dhoogra. “Statistics continue to show that most crashes are caused by human error, usually due to driver negligence such as speeding, a lack of concentration, driver distraction, or intoxication. These are road safety threats that should not be ignored.”

“Every road user can, and should, contribute to making our roads safer. We have a shared responsibility towards road safety,” says Ms Dhoogra.

Safety plans for the Easter weekend 

N3TC and its road incident management system (RIMS) partners will continue to be on high alert for the duration of the Easter weekend. Road users should expect high blue light visibility along the entire route as additional law enforcement resources, including K9 and highway patrol units, have also been deployed.

Satellite law enforcement stations and road safety checkpoints will be located at key points along the N3 Toll Route. Speed monitoring, vehicle roadworthy checks, public transport compliance, random alcohol and drug screening tests, and pedestrian safety checks will be performed.

Public- and private sector emergency rescue teams, medical services, disaster management teams, as well as fire- and towing services will be stationed in the vicinity of the N3 Toll Route. Further backup will be rendered by various volunteer rescue groups and air ambulances stationed in KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and Gauteng.

N3TC’s Route Services are on full deployment and will continue to patrol the entire route daily to monitor road and traffic conditions. They provide vital incident management services in the event of emergencies and offer roadside assistance to road users in distress.

Expected peak traffic days

Southbound traffic (towards Durban) is expected to gradually increase from this morning (28 March), with busy traffic conditions (between 1000 – 1500 vehicles per hour) expected between 14:00 and 18:00.  These busy conditions are expected to continue tomorrow (29 March) from early morning, to about noon.

Northbound traffic (towards Gauteng) is likely to increase on Easter Monday (01 April), with expected volumes peaking at around 2000 vehicles per hour during the course of the day. With schools only re-opening on the 3^rd of April, Tuesday (2 April) may also be busier than usual on the N3 Toll Route as leisure travellers continue to make their way home.

Road maintenance and construction

There is currently no scheduled construction taking place on the N3 Toll Route. Unless emergency repair- or maintenance work is required, all lanes will be open to traffic over Easter.

Toll plaza operations

All toll plazas will operate at a maximum capacity on peak traffic days. Convenient payment options such as tags and tap & go card payment options are available to improve the throughput of vehicles and minimise congestion and possible delays at toll plazas.

We’ve got your back

On the N3 Toll Route, help is always accessible through the N3TC Route Control Centre. Report problems or emergencies; obtain real-time, verified N3 Toll Route information; or get swift roadside assistance by contacting the 24-hour N3 Helpline on 0800 63 43 57 or follow @N3Route on X.

“We wish you a safe and pleasant journey. Please work with us to make road safety a top priority and to help prevent the major trauma of road crashes,” ends Thania Dhoogra.

ENDS.