Expat Driving Tips for Cape Town

Dos and Don’ts when driving in South Africa

Often I get asked by expats if I could give them some driving tips for driving in South Africa. Traffic seems chaotic at first, but there are rules to obey like anywhere else.

So when driving in South Africa you should also know some more inofficial rules of this county.

From my point of view driving in South Africa is not any more dangerous than anywhere else in the world if you keep your eyes and ears open and watch the traffic.

I think drivers here do not drive more aggressively than drivers in England or "speedy" drivers in Germany. But there are some driving tips you will certainly need ...

Please take the time to read about my "South Africa driving tips". And then: Have a safe journey!

Here are my top six driving tips for driving in South Africa

• 1. Always lock your car when driving.

Wind up your windows when approaching a "robot", that is what they call traffic lights in South Africa. This will deter smash and grab robbers and car-hijackers.

• 2. Seatbelts must be worn on the front seats.

I would advise to have your passengers wear them in the backseats as well, even if you see children jumping about in many of the cars here.

• 3. Never ever leave valuables visible in your car.

Hide everything in the boot even your kiddies sandals or a scarf. When driving I stow everything under the front passenger seat, so to have easy access to it, but not to be in sight when street vendors walk around the cars at the traffic lights or stop signs. Smash and grab does occur occasionally in the city center, so beware.

• 4. Always have a spare tyre in your car.

Some streets, parking spaces, even the main roads are littered with broken glass, nails or broken car parts (from precious accidents which hardly ever get brushed aside), so you always should come prepared. Once I had two flat tyres in one week, so please take this advice seriously.

When renting a car always check the tyres, as we got stopped once by the police for a routine check at a street blockade further inland who gave us a warning for worn-down tyres and we had to change the car immediately.

• 5. When traffic lights are out of order, treat the crossing as a four-way-stop.

Then the first car which arrives at the stop line goes first. Often there is no police officer in sight, which can happen even at the most busy traffic crossings in Cape Town occasionally. Traffic from the right gets precedence. But make sure and make eye contact with the other drivers.

• 6. Slower cars keep to the left of the road, often they drive on the shoulder to let other cars pass. Drivers flash shortly the yellow emergency lights once they have passed a slow car to thank the other driver for letting them pass.

Faster cars pass to the left and the right at high speed (often higher than the limit of 120km/h) on the motorways. Should you see a car approaching from the back, so try to keep to the left lane. Do not act hectically.

Other valuable driving tips are:

• Avoid driving in South Africa in the dark if you can as there are still a lot of not roadworthy vehicles on the road with insufficient lighting.

• Even on motorways there are often pedestrians crossing the lanes. The N2 highway - especially the strech from the Somerset West to Cape Town - is notorious for people running from one side of the highway to the other.

There are many fatal accidents involving pedestrians. Watch out for anybody moving close to the highway or climbing over fences. It always is shocking to note that people still take such risks even if there are many pedestrian bridges being constructed to lower the accident rate and people nevertheless take the short cuts.

• Be always cautious at traffic lights and watch out for anybody skipping a red light. And always know where you go and, for your own safety, always tell somebody where you plan to go when you go out at night.

• Take care when white vans aka minibus taxis are approaching as they are often also passing on the shoulder beyond the yellow lane or form an extra lane at the traffic lights.

Be aware that certain members on the road are notorious for their high speed and dangerous driving. And watch out for the motor bike riders that are swerving between cars etc. Bakkies, that is what pick-up trucks are called here, often are heavily overloaded either with workers or badly fixed loads.

• Always have some cash handy so you can tip an unofficial car park attendant, i.e someone telling you he will protect your car, with 2-5 Rands (for 1-2 hours) when returning to your car. Official municipal car guards who work in the city and guard the street side parking bays are to be paid hourly rates of currently R7.50 (October 2008) in advance.

• And not to forget: Do take a cell phone when driving for any case of emergency. But never use your phone when driving as it is not only dangerous but you will be fined heavily too.

• Last but not least: Relax. Keep cool and do not show aggressive behavior against another driver. Some drivers here might take it very badly even if you should be right and he/she wrong.

Now I hope my driving tips were of help to you. I hope these driving tips help you feel more comfortable when driving in Cape Town.

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