The summer holiday official road toll period started at 4pm.
Editorial
When Christmas falls on a Tuesday it means the holidays effectively start today. Many will be on the roads already, heading for family gatherings or holiday resorts. To them we say: drive safely.
To those staying in their home city, drive slowly. This is the time of the yearwhen normally congested commuter routes are blissfully free flowing and the temptation to hasten the familiar trip is strong. It is also the time of year when police lower their tolerance of speed in the hope of reducing the holiday toll and they don't make an exception for commuters still at work.
Their crackdown started at 4pm yesterday and will last until 6am on January 7. So if you don't want speed camera fines arriving in the mail next year, for being 5km over the limit on a quiet day in the festive season, watch your speedo.
Watch it wherever you are. Crash data tells the traffic authorities a difference of 10km/h can make all the difference to whether a collision will be fatal and they are planning to lower speed limits on many categories of road.
So slow down, enjoy the passing countryside, don't treat passing lanes as a challenge, don't race to get past one more car before the lane ends. Drive to the conditions, keep your distance, pull over and let the impatient pass.
Driving can be part of the pleasure of holiday making, driving without the pressure of having to be somewhere at a set time. Stay safe, stay alive and have a happy Christmas.
