[imagesource:wallpaperflare]

Capetonians don’t function very well in the rain.

When we’re blessed with the best (no, I am not starting a fight with Jozi), we struggle to settle for less, and that means when the region is hit with the first Winter week of rainy weather, everybody refuses to move.

If you do find yourself needing to commute to work or are mad enough to want to go out, you will definitely have found that the roads are pure chaos in the rain. That’s even before we all realise that the gloomy weather is here to stay, and we can’t continue waiting on our couch for the sun to come out and our choice cold immersions to commence.

My point is, Capetonians don’t know how to drive in rainy weather. It’s like we get used to nice things so much that when it’s taken away from us, we completely freak out. Brats, the lot of us.

Now I am hearing that some people are DRINKING and driving in the heavy rain. Are people nuts? Are these people not reading the news? The flooding has been hectic. Are they not on road safety WhatsApp groups to find out the best route without tires burning, riots raging, crashed trucks, fallen trees, and floods?

We adapt or we die here in South Africa but these nutters clearly think they are above the evolutionary order.

JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security within the city told News24 recently that “We’re dealing with a lot due to the weather, and then you have those among us who insist on creating additional problems by behaving badly. It’s utterly shocking to see how many drunk drivers continue to be arrested week after week.”

“It’s hard enough operating a vehicle in good weather conditions when you’re sober, but doing so, while impaired, in the type of downpours we’ve seen recently, is both stupid and dangerous.”

Alarmingly, 73 people were arrested around Cape Town in the past week for drunk driving:

In the past week, the City’s officers made 52 arrests for drunk driving, the Western Cape’s law enforcement advancement plan (LEAP) officers made three, and metro police made 18.

Ag, no man. Seriously? Capetonians clearly need a reminder of how to drive in rainy weather.

Please take heed of the wise words from Arrive Alive, who points out that wet and rainy conditions require the driver to exercise extra caution and adjust normal driving behaviour:

• Top of the list regarding road safety is to keep headlights on to be visible and to widen the following distance to allow enough time and space to stop safely.
• Slow down. Braking takes longer on slippery roads — the slower you go, the easier it will be for you to maintain control and stop your vehicle.
• Don’t slow down so much that you become a risk to other drivers. Rather move off the road surface than getting to a complete stall in areas of poor visibility.

Let’s be better.

While I’m at it (this rant against Capetonians’ weird behaviours), please also consider arriving on time. You won’t become the life of the party if you decide to pitch up 30 mins to an hour late. It’s actually disrespectful and uncool.

[source:news24]