Overloading has become a commonality on South African roads, one that has furthermore been recognised as a safety and cost concern.
According to Arrive Alive, the National Department of Transport has incorporated a campaign against overloading in its Road to Safety strategy.
“Economic growth demands an adequate transport infrastructure. Overloaded vehicles, especially freight vehicles, are destroying our roads, impacting negatively on economic growth – the damage caused grows exponentially as the load increases.”
Overloading -Examples from SA – Why is it so dangerous? https://t.co/0G0XfvIbdi #ArriveAlive pic.twitter.com/iSDujb18HY
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) December 22, 2015
Overloaded vehicles do not only threaten the lives of the drivers but also the lives of passengers and other road users.
Arrive Alive has compiled a few risks posed by overloading:
- The vehicle will be less stable, difficult to steer and take longer to stop. Vehicles react differently when the maximum weights which they are designed to carry are exceeded.
- Overloaded vehicles can cause the tyres to overheat and wear rapidly which increases the chance of premature, dangerous and expensive failure or blow-outs.
- The driver’s control and operating space in the overloaded vehicle are diminished, escalating the chances of an accident.
- The overloaded vehicle cannot accelerate as normal – making it difficult to overtake
- At night, the headlights of an overloaded vehicle will tilt up, blinding oncoming drivers to possible debris or obstructions on the roadway.
- Brakes have to work harder due to “the riding of brakes” and because the vehicle is heavier due to overloading. Brakes overheat and lose their effectiveness to stop the car.
- With overloading, seat belts are often not used as the aim is to pack in as many persons as possible into the vehicle.
- The whole suspension system comes under stress and, over time, the weakest point can give way.
- By overloading your vehicle you will incur higher maintenance costs to the vehicle – tyres, brakes, shock absorbers and higher fuel consumption
- Insurance cover on overloaded vehicles may be void as overloading is illegal.
Compiled by Gypseenia Lion
