One of the things that you cannot get away from in Johannesburg is traffic. Public transport is next to non-existant, and more and more people are earning enough to own a car - i dont know the exact figures but someone mentioned something like 5 times the number of cars on the road as there were 15 years ago (during apartheid.)This in itself is one thing that really needs sorting out, although I am not sure how as the road links are pretty good its got to be said. However, the worst problem is the state of the driving in this country, and it is not only a Jo-sie problem.
I am not convinced that most of the drivers on the road have ever even taken a driving lesson, let alone a test for a license. Just this morning, I had one guy in front of me driving for a few minutes straight down a road, with his left blinker on. He drove past several roads on the right. This is something i have also done in the past, it happens. However, the guy then turned his blinker off, and 3 seconds later decided to stop suddenly on the right hand side of the road, WITHOUT using his blinker to indicate it to me....this beggars belief in my mind.
Roundabouts here are a deathtrap. Noone seems to know how to use one. Seems that SA drivers are of the opinion that the first one at the roundabout has right of way - not quite true people. Driving on the highway is also a risky business. In most civilised countries overtaking is only allowed on the outside of the car (ie in the fast lane.) I am still to find out the actual law in SA, but whether its law or not, everyone here passes on both sides of the car if you are in the middle lane. This is so dangerous.
I have been here for 7 months now, and i have personally witnessed more accidents on the road in the last 7 months than i ever have in the past 32 years. Also, I broke my duck. In 15 years of driving I had never been involved in an accident where i was driving, until I lived in SA. I was practically stopped at a stop sign, and a guy came out of nowhere (we think he didnt see the stop sign until too late then saw it and swerved) and came in front of us and clipped the front right - see pic. Had I been 2 metres further forward he wouldhave rammed straight into my door...grrrr - he had the balls to say it want him as well - idiot.
