Road Safety for Women Driving Alone

Introduction

Women are regarded in the insurance industry as ‘’safer” drivers and less likely to be in a road accident. Even though all motorists need to be alert and cautious, female drivers unfortunately have to be even more vigilant in order to avoid falling prey to criminal acts such as hijacking, intimidation, sexual assault or worse. Our women drivers are still regarded as more vulnerable by most criminals.

In this section we would like to offer advice and a few precautions that could enhance the safety of all drivers - and especially our female drivers!

Preparation/ Anticipation and Prevention of Dangerous Situations

Drivers should always consider the threats and possible worst case scenarios – and plan to avoid as many of these as possible. Precautions would include the following:

Vehicle Maintenance

A well-maintained car is less likely to break down - Keep your car in good mechanical condition and have it serviced regularly by a reputable garage.
Have a safety check done before each long trip. Even better - learn how to change a tyre, jump-start the battery, or change a wiper blade. The more you empower yourself with basic maintenance tips, the less chances of you being the damsel in distress.
Never run out of fuel. Get into the habit of filling when the tank's half empty rather than waiting for the warning light.
Get faults diagnosed and fixed promptly rather than waiting for them to get worse or hoping they'll go away.
The vehicle handbook will provide important information on specification of oil, antifreeze to use if you have to top-up etc
Check tyre condition and pressure regularly. Get damaged or excessively worn tyres renewed, and don't forget to check the spare.

Plan Your Trip

Plan your route if the journey is unfamiliar, and keep to well-lit main roads.
Don't drive after dark into areas you don't know, if you can avoid it. It is easy to get lost, and become a target for criminal activity.
Drive with a decent GPS for enhanced safety, and tell someone your route, and what time you expect to arrive.
Always be ready in the event of a delay on the road -Ensure your cellular phone is fully charged - and invest in a car charger should you not already have one.
Add emergency numbers to your phone - such as that of a motoring assistance company, car insurance company etc.

Safety While Driving

While you drive you can enhance safety by focusing on the following:

When stopped in traffic, leave enough space to pull out from behind the car you are following.
Lock all doors and roll up the windows while you drive.
Be especially cautious when you approach intersections crowded with street vendors, newspaper sellers, beggars and street kids.
Keep your valuables - laptop, handbag, mobile phone - out of sight. Even though there has been success in reducing hijackings, theft from vehicles in SA has increased!
Drivers are often distracted at their window by a person only to be robbed by his con partner on the other side.
Should you wish to interact with someone alongside the vehicle open the window only a few centimetres to talk.
NEVER give lifts to strangers /hitchhikers.
Beware of anyone who signals that there is something wrong with your car, unless you know that they are right and it is dangerous to drive on.
If you suspect that you are being followed, drive on to the nearest police station or busy place to get help.
Sound the horn in potentially dangerous situations.
Avoid distractions while driving - Keep the volume of your car radio at a reasonable level so you are aware of your surroundings and, tempting as it may be to check phone messages or update Facebook and Twitter while in traffic, your phone should be off every time you turn on the ignition.
Driver distractions will leave you vulnerable to hijackers and smash-and-grab thugs who could use the element of surprise to creep up on you.
Avoid engaging with strangers on the road - Women attract attention simply by being women drivers. No matter what type of car you drive, just for being a woman some freak may try to engage with you on the road.
Avoid strangers trying to get your attention - just drive on, or turn at the next intersection.
In the event of an incident of road rage, don't get into a verbal exchange, just take the high road and ignore the person.
Women traffic rules follow
Guidance (white characters on blue in general – on green in expressways),
Warning (black characters and symbols on yellow diamond),
Regulation (red or blue circle, depending on prohibition or regulation),