Vehicle / Road Safety

Motor racing spectacular brings Soweto to its feet

Soweto – 19 July 2009.  The streets of Soweto came alive today with the sound of screeching tyres and revving engines at the WesBank Street Race – Soweto.  The event was hosted by WesBank in partnership with the City of Johannesburg and Motorsport South Africa.

The 2009 WesBank Street Race – Soweto saw drivers from five categories racing the 2.2 km “L-shaped” track along Chris Hani Road (opposite the UJ Campus) and Nicholas Street in Soweto.

The event drew over 20 000 spectators to the event and well known South African celebrities and soccer were also in attendance.

According to George Nyabadza, General Manager Marketing at WesBank, “We are proud that we are taking motorsport to the Soweto community.  Today will definitely be the talk of the town for many days to come.  WesBank along with its partners are committed to developing motorsport in the township and believe this opportunity to see racing up close will encourage members of the community to pursue careers in motorsport.”

The people of Soweto truly benefited from the race as approximately 70% of the contract workforce for the event was from local residents from Soweto.

Participating categories in the 2009 WesBank Street Race – Soweto included the WesBank V8 Supercars, Interfile Superbikes (1000 cc) and Supersport (600cc), Bridgestone Production Cars, Formula Volkswagens and Engen Polo Cups.

“We have already begun planning for next year’s race which we believe will be even bigger and better,” concluded Nyabadza.

The Stig is Michael Schumacher?

The most recent episode of Top Gear the Stig was revealed as non other than Michael Schumacher- Is this reveal a joke or is it true? Michael Schumacher donned the Stig outfit as if he has worn it before-perhaps he has.

On the programme the Stig completed a lap of the Top Gear circuit in 1 minute 10.7 seconds in a £1million Ferrari FSX – seven seconds faster than ever before.

But despite the big unmasking motoring fans are sure to still be wondering just who  the real Stig is.

So who do you think the real stig is?

Statistics Emphasize Importance of Car Insurance

The latest statistics regarding road accidents in South Africa should be enough to scare anyone off to run and get car insurance if they haven’t done so yet. Human error causes 57% of all accidents on South African roads, and an average of 36 people die each and every day.

The group Arrive Alive South Africa says that in a staggering 90% of car accidents on the roads, at least one of the drivers involved did not heed the laws of the road. The financial cost is also massive, with accidents costing the country R35 billion each year. These statistics show that even if we believe we are the most careful drivers, and never do anything against the law, other drivers may not be so careful and involve you in an accident unintentionally by their own habits.

Speeding remains one of the main problems in South Africa and is certainly among the top causes for accidents on our roads. In some areas of the country, disregard for speed limits are so great that an incredible 80% of drivers have been recorded to exceed the limit.

There are a number of things that drivers can do to avoid becoming another statistic on the road. These include the more obvious such as refraining from drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel, to undertaking long journeys with another person who can share the driving and watch that the driver does not fall asleep at the wheel.

Most importantly, drivers should ensure that they have good car insurance so that their lives, those of their family and those of other drivers on the road are protected.

Article sourced via car-home-insurance.net

Distance Chart: Plan a trip across South Africa

Are you planning to take a road trip across South Africa? Well, why not start with calculating the distance you are planning to travel.

We have plotted some of the main destinations from in and around South Africa on the distance chart below. Remember to check your vehicle before you embark on any journey- Safety is Essential.