warning on veld fires

Last week Trans African Concessions [TracN4] alerted road users to the dangers of diminished visibility caused by veld fires next to some parts of the N4. We added these “N4 Alerts” to the Arrive Alive mobile website at arrive alive.mobile and would like to provide our road users with more information on safe driving near veld and forest fires.

As we approach the dry months we can expect an increase in veld and forest fires and fire and emergency services will be on high alert. But how can we as road users exercise greater caution while driving in the high risk areas?

One of the most important aspects is to show respect and awareness of Emergency Operations. We would like to quote from the Arrive Alive road safety website:

“The police, traffic officials and fire fighters do their best to avert the dangers form veld fires and to protect the public and motorists from these dangers. They also control crowds near the emergency scenes and will provide the most convenient detour for traffic when roads are closed. It is important that motorists obey and pay close attention to these officials. The following should be kept in mind:
•Move over when you see flashing lights at the side of the road or the presence of emergency vehicles or fire engines!
•Try to stay at least 200 metres from the emergency vehicle.
•If an emergency exists ahead, it may be dangerous to the public to drive through the area.
•People who drive into an emergency scene may collide with a fire engine, or worse, a firefighter.
•Slow down when approaching an emergency scene
•Be patient and keep in mind that fire and emergency personnel did not create the emergency, they did not cause the accident and they did not start the fire
•Detouring traffic may cause everything to slow down, but it is better getting through slowly instead of getting stuck.”
We would like to urge all road users to view the recommendations and safety advice included on the Arrive Alive website in a section titled: “Veld and Forest Fires”