The truck stops here but the pain is on the route

THE 417km N2 stretch from Ermelo in Mpumalanga to Richards Bay is a danger zone.

That section has claimed the lives of beloved innocent souls: 35km from Ermelo towards Piet Retief you are greeted by the first hazard

- it often gets very misty in adverse weather conditions.

Recently, two patients with serious injuries were admitted to Ermelo Provincial Hospital after a multi-vehicle collision.

The pile-up was captured on dashcam and shows the moments before a truck crashes into another on this road in misty conditions.

Motorists can be seen trying to flag down the trucker to warn him of the danger ahead, but he could not stop in time and crashed into the other vehicles.

Secondly, the road itself is not wide enough by modern standards, with little to no room for shoulders.

The shoulder is a strip of pavement outside an outer lane; it is provided for emergency use and to protect the pavement edges from traffic damage.

Overtaking is a perilous endeavour, especially when passing longer haulage vehicles.

The road is riddled with poorlypatched potholes; the surface is so uneven you can’t risk driving with a loose grip on your steering wheel.

Driving on an uneven surface or switching lanes between uneven surfaces can be enough to cause a serious accident.

The shift in surface height can cause an unexpected change in tyre direction; tyre damage; a blowout,

and even axle damage.

The structural integrity of your vehicle is put to question and your suspension tested to its functional limits.

Another chief hazard is the high traffic volume of heavy vehicles to and from Richards Bay, especially side tipper interlinks.

Richards Bay handles in excess of 80 million tonnes annually, representing 55% of South Africa’s seaborne cargo.

This makes it the country’s largest port in terms of volumes handled. It is no wonder that 95% of bulk mine cargo travels via this stretch.

The road has not been engineered adequately for handling this kind of onslaught from heavy vehicles.

Making matters worse is the reckless driving shown by side tipper truck drivers, who overtake dangerously.

There are no speed traps or mechanisms put in place to curb speeding on this stretch.

As the road reaches Pongola, it becomes wide and smooth; a major relief from being thrown corner-tocorner while dodging potholes.

An open, smooth and wide tarmac presents temptation to use a heavy foot on the accelerator.

However, this section of road winds down steep descents through a residential area, and livestock roams unrestricted on the road.

There are various schools and hospitals scattered along this route, therefore, there is high pedestrian traffic.

The side tipper interlink trucks reach alarmingly high speeds of over 100km/h, and drive with such recklessness while passing through this residential area, present a major concern.

Travelling from Richards Bay via Pongola to Piet Retief is advised against.

Steep inclines restrict heavy trucks to crawling speeds, providing ample opportunity for marauding hooligans who loiter within the vicinity.

They climb onto the back of the truck tractor unit, disrupting crucial units and disabling the vehicle.

They steal diesel straight from the tank, and your belongings, too.

The area is also notorious for service delivery-related protests and trucks are often the major victims.