The Road Traffic Management Corporation call on motorists to improve the visibility of their vehicles and exercise extreme caution when driving late at night or early hours of the morning.
This follows a spate of major crashes that claimed 19 (nineteen) lives over the weekend.
Five people died when a bakkie drove into the back of a hatchback vehicle on old Randfontein Road in Kagiso near Mogale City in Gauteng yesterday.
The crash took place at around 3am and all the deceased were travelling in the hatchback. The driver of the bakkie was not injured while all five males in the hatchback died on the scene.
Nine other people died on Thursday before midnight when a minibus and a truck collided at the intersection of R500 and R42 Buffelshoek in North West.
It is alleged that the minibus with a trailer and transporting 13 passengers collided with a truck resulting in the death of six males, a female and girl child on the scene. Another person died later in hospital.
A head-on collision on the N1 near Nyl Plaza in Limpopo on Friday also claimed the lives of five people.
The crash involved a truck and minibus. It is alleged that the minibus traversed the median and went into the direction in which the truck was travelling resulting in a head-on collision.
The Road Traffic Management is investigating all the contributory factors that may have led to the crashes.
However, the Corporation calls on motorists to avoid driving under the influence of alcohol and to take into account winter conditions when travelling.
This includes slippery road conditions, especially in the early hours of the morning, fog and poor visibility.
It is essential for motorists to heed the following safety tips:
Adjust Driving Style: Reduce speed, increase your following distance (up to three times the normal distance), and avoid sudden braking or steering.
Visibility: Drive with your headlights on low beam even during the day. Only use fog lights if visibility drops below 100 meters to avoid blinding other drivers.
Vehicle Maintenance: Ensure your tires have adequate tread, check your windshield wipers, and ensure all lights are fully functional.