Travelling Tips in Johannesburg

Welcome to Accommodation South Africa's page about road safety and travelling tips in Johannesburg . We trust that the information we have supplied you with will ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday in South Africa.

Driving is done on the left hand side of the road, with the right hand lane used for overtaking slower vehicles. Yielding to the right is the norm for traffic circles, however, there are a few exceptions, but these, like the road signs, are well sign posted. The speed limit for urban driving is between 60 and 80 km per hour, while on the freeways (National roads), the speed limit is between 80-120kms per hour. Speed traps adorn almost every major road, and where they aren’t visible or a permanent fixture, the traffic department regularly holds speed traps, so the best thing would be to stay within the limit.  

Traffic light jumping is unfortunately common place in South Africa, so before you comply with the law, and slow down when seeing an orange light, make sure that the car behind is not accelerating. Also, when the traffic light turns green, have a quick look to see that vehicles coming from the opposite direction are not traffic light jumping, before pulling away.

South Africa Road Safety Tips

Your windows should not be completely wound down while driving within the city or suburbs-as with any cosmopolitan city, there are plenty of opportunists around that would deprive you of anything valuable if seen lying about in your car (whether you are in the car or not), so make sure that mobile phones, cameras, handbags, clothes, etc, are safely out of sight. Your doors should remain locked at all times.

Always be aware of your surroundings, when getting in or out of your car, and try and ascertain beforehand, exactly which route to take, before starting off on any trip. Petrol and diesel cars are available for hire, with Unleaded Petrol (ULP), and lead replacement petrol (LRP). Please enquire which is best for the car you hire.  Service stations sell all three choices- personal credit cards are not accepted by service stations, so please ensure that you have cash.

The wearing of seat belts is compulsory, both in the front and back of the vehicle, and child seats can be arranged with the car hire company, usually at no extra cost. Mobile phone usage while driving is prohibited, unless using a “hands-free” set fitted into the car.

Taxis can be hired, but you will need to telephone a company before hand- they are not generally seen in the streets to be flagged down. The mini bus taxi is a cheaper version than bus, train or by far, private taxi companies, but has a reputation as being unsafe, with little regard to road rules, as well as the taxis themselves having dubious road worthiness. 

South Africa is a scenic and wondrous place to visit, with lots of nooks and crannies that are sure to take your breath away, and by erring on the side of caution while using our roads, will make a memorable and treasured holiday.

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