Trans African Concessions (TRAC), the toll route concessionaire on the N4 from Pretoria to Mozambique, reports a decrease in road accidents over the 2008 Easter period.

“Only 15 accidents were reported for the entire long weekend as opposed to the 28 accidents reported for the same period in 2007. Two fatal accidents occurred during this weekend with five fatalities in the first accident and a further six fatalities in the second. Initial reports indicate that both fatal accidents were caused by tyre blow-outs,” says Arthur Coy, CEO of TRAC.

Peak times on the N4 toll route were experienced on 20, 21 and 24 March 2008. The highest hourly traffic volume was measured at the Middelburg Toll Plaza on Monday, 24 March – 2400 vehicles per hour in a westerly direction and 900 vehicles per hour in an easterly direction.

“It seems that travellers either extended their long weekend because of the school holidays, or delayed their departure until after the Easter weekend. TRAC hopes to continuously improve road safety and decrease accidents and fatalities along the N4 toll road, but also relies heavily on the general good behaviour of road users as was the case during Easter,” says Coy.

Trans African Concessions offers a free roadside assistance service, called TRACassist, as an investment in the motoring community on the N4 Toll Route. Road users are vulnerable when their vehicles break down. The TRACassist teams are on call 24-hours a day to provide motorists with peace of mind. TRACassist assisted 66 motorists stranded along the N4 toll route during the Easter period.

Issued: 26 March 2008