General duties of a driver in South Africa

What following distance must you keep?

Keep a following distance of at least 2 seconds behind the vehicle in front of you. This minimum is for light motor vehicles and motorcycles. You may never follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable. The gap gives you time to stop if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly.

You must make the gap bigger in bad conditions:

• when it is raining
• when the road surface is slippery
• when visibility is poor (you cannot see far)
• when another vehicle is following you too closely.

So if a driver sits close behind you, leave more space in front of you.

Must you always obey road signs and the rules of the road?

Yes. You may not disobey any road traffic sign or any rule of the road.

There is one exception. If a traffic officer orders you to do something else, you do what the officer orders.

What must you do when you hear a siren?

Give right of way (let the vehicle go first) immediately. A vehicle that is sounding its siren, bell or other warning device gets right of way at once. Someone may be in danger, so do not wait.

Emergency vehicles also have coloured warning lights. Learn which colour belongs to which vehicle:

• Red light: a fire-fighting vehicle, a fire-fighting response vehicle, a rescue vehicle, an emergency medical response vehicle and an ambulance.
• Blue light: a vehicle driven by a traffic officer who is carrying out his or her duties.
• Green light: a vehicle driven by a person who is busy with civil protection.

When may you use your hooter?

You may use the hooter only when it is necessary for safety. It is not for greeting people or showing anger.

You may not use a light motor vehicle on a public road unless it has a hooter (warning device) in good working order. A person with normal hearing must be able to hear it clearly from 90 metres away.

Two things may not be used in private vehicles:

• sirens
• warning devices that play a tune.

You may also not operate a vehicle on a public road in a way that causes excessive noise.

How must you sit and keep control of the vehicle?

You must have complete control of the vehicle all the time. While you drive on a public road, you may not:

• sit in a position where you do not have complete control over the vehicle
• sit in a position where you do not have a full view of the roadway and the traffic ahead
• let any person, animal or object be in or on the vehicle in a position that may take away your complete control
• let any person take hold of or interfere with the steering or the other controls (the operating mechanism)
• let any person or animal ride on the roof, on a step or running board, or anywhere else on top of the moving vehicle
• let any part of your body stick out of the vehicle while it moves.

The last rule has one exception: you may put your arm out to give a hand signal. On a freeway, a hand signal is allowed only for a reason beyond your control.

When may you reverse or pull away from the side of the road?

Only when it is safe. You may not make a vehicle travel backwards unless you can do it in safety.

The same idea applies when you pull away. You may not drive a parked or stationary (standing still) vehicle away from the side of the road unless you can do it safely. You must also not interfere with moving traffic coming from any direction.

What must you do before you leave your vehicle?

Set the brake and switch off the engine. You may not leave a vehicle unattended on a public road without setting its brake. You may use another method instead, as long as it stops the vehicle from moving from the place where you left it.

The engine has three rules:

• It may not run while the vehicle is stationary and unattended.
• It may not run while petrol or other flammable fuel is being put into the fuel tank. Switch off before you fill up.
• It may not run in a way that gives off smoke or fumes that an engine in good condition would not give off.

May you drive on the pavement or spin your wheels?

No. You may not drive, pull or push a vehicle on a sidewalk (pavement).

You must also look after the road:

• You may not make any wheel drag or spin on the surface of the roadway. The only exception is an emergency.
• You may not use or move any vehicle or thing on a roadway in a way that damages the roadway.
• You may not drop refuse (rubbish) from a vehicle onto or next to a public road. This includes petrol, other liquid fuel, oil, grease, ashes and anything else flammable or offensive. It does not matter whether you do it carelessly or on purpose.

How must you load goods on a vehicle?

A load must stay on the vehicle and must not block your view. Goods may not be loaded in a way that:

• lets them touch the surface of the road
• blocks your view of traffic to the front or on either side
• blocks your view, in the rear-view mirror or mirrors, of traffic behind you.

Goods must be safely contained within the body of the vehicle. If they are not, they must be securely fastened to the vehicle. They must also be properly protected from being dislodged (knocked loose) or spilled.

On the roof of a motor car, goods may not be higher than one-half of the height of the car. This height limit does not apply to pedal cycles (bicycles) carried on the roof.

May people ride on the back of a goods vehicle?

Only if the part where they ride is enclosed (closed in) to a set height. This applies to a goods vehicle, such as a bakkie. The enclosed part must reach:

• at least 350 millimetres above the surface on which a person is seated, or
• at least 900 millimetres above the surface on which a person is standing.

The sides are there to stop people from falling off.

It is against the law for passengers to ride in a caravan.

What are the rules for towing another vehicle?

The tow-rope, chain or tow-bar between the two vehicles may not be longer than 3,5 metres. These rules also apply when you tow on a public road:

• With a tow-rope or chain, you may not tow faster than 30 km/h.
• This rope-or-chain speed limit falls away when the vehicles are joined by a draw bar or a tow-bar.
• If the towed vehicle is carrying persons, it may not be towed faster than 30 km/h. So a towed vehicle may carry passengers, but only at 30 km/h or less.
• A person must control the steering of the towed vehicle. That person must hold the driving licence code for that class of vehicle.
• The brakes of the towed vehicle must meet the legal requirements. If they do not, the vehicle may only be towed with a draw bar or tow-bar.

How many trailers may one vehicle pull?

A drawing (pulling) vehicle may pull a maximum of two trailers. A vehicle joined to one or more trailers is called a combination of motor vehicles.

Instead of trailers, a drawing vehicle may pull one other motor vehicle that is not a trailer.

In an emergency a drawing vehicle may pull one other motor vehicle that is not a trailer, together with a trailer.

The fine print

• A breakdown vehicle that is towing another vehicle has a speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour.
• The 30 km/h limit for a towed vehicle that carries persons does not apply when the towed vehicle is a semi-trailer.
• You may not use chocks or shoes between a wheel of a moving vehicle and the surface of the roadway.
• For goods on a car roof, the height of the goods is measured from the highest point of the roof. The height of the car is measured from ground level.
• A container that is made to be fastened by twist locks must be securely fastened by at least four twist locks.

Numbers to remember

• 2 seconds: the minimum following distance for light motor vehicles and motorcycles
• 90 metres: the distance from which a hooter must be clearly heard
• 3,5 metres: the longest a tow-rope, chain or tow-bar may be
• 30 km/h: the fastest you may tow with a tow-rope or chain
• 30 km/h: the fastest a towed vehicle carrying persons may be towed
• 350 millimetres: how high a goods vehicle must be enclosed above the surface where a person sits
• 900 millimetres: how high a goods vehicle must be enclosed above the surface where a person stands
• One-half of the height of the car: the highest that goods on a motor car roof may be
• Two trailers: the most that one drawing vehicle may pull

Mistakes learners make

• Thinking the hooter is for greeting friends or hurrying other drivers. You may use it only when it is necessary for safety.
• Closing the gap in front when a vehicle follows you too closely. You must increase your following distance.
• Leaving the engine running while you fill up. The engine may not run while fuel is being put into the tank.
• Mixing up the towing numbers. The rope, chain or tow-bar may be 3,5 metres at most, and the speed limit with a rope or chain is 30 km/h.
• Mixing up the warning light colours. Red is for fire, rescue and medical vehicles, blue is for a traffic officer and green is for civil protection.

Test yourself

1. Question 1

   True or false?

   A driver is permitted to use the hooter of a vehicle to call a passenger who is waiting inside a house.

   Show answer

   Answer: False

   You may use your hooter only when it is needed for safety, not to call someone.

2. Question 2

   An ambulance sounding a siren and displaying emergency warning lights approaches your vehicle from behind on a public road. What does the law require you to do?

   • A Give immediate right of way to the ambulance
   • B Maintain your speed and your position on the roadway
   • C Give right of way only after the next intersection
   Show answer

   Answer: A: Give immediate right of way to the ambulance

   You must give way at once to an emergency vehicle with its siren and warning lights on.

3. Question 3

   Late at night you approach a road traffic sign on a deserted public road. No traffic officer is present. What are you required to do?

   • A Disregard the sign, as no other traffic is present
   • B Obey the road traffic sign
   • C Obey the sign only if another vehicle approaches
   Show answer

   Answer: B: Obey the road traffic sign

   You may not disobey any road traffic sign or any rule of the road when you drive on a public road.

4. Question 4

   You wish to cause your vehicle to travel backwards on a public road. When are you permitted to do so?

   • A Only when it can be done in safety
   • B Only when the hazard lights are switched on
   • C Only when a passenger gives directions from outside
   Show answer

   Answer: A: Only when it can be done in safety

   You may reverse on a public road only when you can do it safely.

5. Question 5

   What is the minimum following distance that must be maintained by the driver of a light motor vehicle?

   • A 1 second
   • B 2 seconds
   • C 3 seconds
   Show answer

   Answer: B: 2 seconds

   In a light motor vehicle or on a motorcycle you must stay at least 2 seconds behind the vehicle in front.

6. Question 6

   Which ONE of the following is NOT named as an adverse condition under which the following distance must be increased?

   • A A slippery surface
   • B Poor visibility
   • C Light traffic
   Show answer

   Answer: C: Light traffic

   Light traffic is not a bad condition; rain, a slippery road and poor visibility are, and then you leave a bigger gap.