Cape Town - People who have committed to following the lockdown regulations have been noticed through a car-usage data platform that reflects a major decrease in vehicle activity on the roads.
South African motorists are shown to be generally more observant of lockdown rules in comparison with the UK and the US, according to car-usage data found by a UK-based telematics company known as The Floow, a partner of Standard Bank Insurance.
Two days after the lockdown implementation, daily vehicle trips had decreased by more than 80% in comparison with three weeks prior to the lockdown.
The Floow chief actuary Andy Goldby said the trend demonstrated South African drivers’ adherence to the restricted movement imposed by the lockdown. “Driving activity declined by 50% in the US and declined by 65% in the UK during their mandated lockdowns.”
Mayco member for transport Felicity Purchase confirmed that the traffic counts on the N1, N2, a section of the N7 and M5 freeways had dropped between 75% to 80% daily over the past four weeks.
“We have also noted the number of incidents/accidents on the freeways have dropped by more than 80%.”
Although there has been an improvement with the road activity, driving behaviours on the road seem to show a different side.
The City’s traffic services spokesperson Maxine Bezuidenhout said: “Although there is a decrease in the volume of traffic flow on roads, the speed at which some motorists travel increased during this time. Since the beginning of the lockdown until April 5, a total of 14913 speed violations were recorded,” she said.
Standard Bank Insurance spokesperson Nolwandle Mbalo said: “As the data reflects, our clients are staying at home and most are not using their vehicles. Therefore our partnership with The Floow allowed us to develop solutions for clients that provide them with financial relief in these difficult times.”
@Sukainaish