K53 Blog
New Speed Limits 11 November 2016 | K53 Test Blog
Speed Limits Regulation 293 amendment Goods vehicles with a GVM of more than 3 500 kg, up to 9 000 kg, are now limited to a maximum speed of 100 km/h with effect from 11 November 2016. (The maximum general speed limit of 120 km/h previously applied to these vehicles.) Summary of vehicle-related speed limits 100 km/h – a bus, mini-bus, midi-bus carrying passengers for reward, and any vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of more than 3 500 kg and not exceeding 9 000 kg 80 km/h – any goods vehicle/combination with a...
read moreTurning Into A Two-lane Road – K53 Blog
Which lanes to use when turning? Regarding your query, I believe the driver’s interpretation of the procedure that should be followed is correct in terms of the intentions of the applicable rule of the road (Regulation 302). The problem is that the official rules of the road do not spell out the exact procedure when turning into a road with more that one lane on each side of the dividing line. The procedure for turning into a multi-lane road seems to be implied in the rules rather than being made absolutely clear. Below is the exact...
read moreIntersections – Turning Right | K53 Blog
If a vehicle is turning right at an intersection, and another vehicle approaching from the front is also turning to its right, how should the two vehicles pass each other within the intersection? Which one should give way to the other? Should they go past each other before starting to turn, or are they allowed to turn across each other’s path, passenger-side to passenger-side? I was asked what the rules are in regard to this situation. Here are my comments. Regulation 302: Procedure when turning This is the actual wording of...
read moreWhat Is This Yellow Road Marking?
Have you seen this yellow road marking before? Let’s analyse it Assume you are driving a vehicle on the left half of the road, with the white bakkie on the right-hand side, facing you – an ‘oncoming vehicle’. Note: If that white vehicle is parked – as it appears to be – and it is not an emergency situation, it would be regarded as parked illegally because it is in a non-urban area and not parked off the roadway and at least 1 metre from the edge of the roadway. But, back to the road markings… The...
read moreTaxi Up In Flames Due To Driver Decision – K53 Blog
I’m sure most light motor vehicle drivers do the K53 Exterior Inspection of the motor vehicle only once in their lives – when they have to do it as part of the K53 Driving Licence test. Well, perhaps it is a good idea to make a habit of doing a quick visual check of your motor vehicle every day before you’re about to drive it for the day – even more importantly if you carry passengers whose lives might also be at risk. It certainly is a must to check out anything ‘odd’ that you notice while driving. Taxi...
read moreHow Easily A Car Crash Can Happen | K53 Blog
It is often assumed that car crashes are always caused by high-speed driving, or reckless, irresponsible driving, or drunk driving. This short story is about a close friend of mine who nearly wrote himself and another driver off on his way back to Cape Town on the N2 from Port Elizabeth between Christmas and New Year, in 2014. He was not guilty of any of the above causes of crashes and fatalities. His sin was simply lack of proper observation and poor judgement. The situation and what happened It was on an uphill, where the left half...
read moreHow To Upgrade Your K53 Driving Licence | K53 Blog
Q: I have just seen my licence does not permit me to tow a caravan as I only have a code B. What do I need to do to upgrade my licence to code EB. A: You’ll need to do a driving licence test for a Code EB vehicle. To do that you first need to do a Learner’s Licence test (don’t shoot the messenger – that’s how the system works). So, to summarise: Apply for a Learner’s Licence and sit for the test for that. Once you have a new Learner’s Licence, apply to do the Driving Licence practical test for Code...
read moreReservation Signs vs Command Signs | Blog
The blue Reservation Signs and blue Command signs in the South African road signs system seem to be misunderstood at times, and I was asked to help clarify the situation. Firstly, both these classes of signs are Regulatory signs, meaning that they MUST be obeyed. The rectangular blue signs are Reservation signs, while the round blue signs are Command signs. Meaning: To reserve a particular lane, road or a portion of a road (R) or a parking area (P) for the exclusive use of the class of road user depicted by the icon on the sign. In the...
read moreLearner Driver Training And Testing On Freeways | K53 Blog
Both learner driver training and driving licence testing on freeways seem to have some anomolies as far as the K53 driving licence test is concerned (see link at the end of this blog post). Apparently learner drivers are not taught how to drive on a freeway, and it seems too that not all examiners (if any) take their candidates on a freeway as part of the K53 driving licence test. Yet there is a test module for entering a freeway and another one for exiting a freeway. Despite this, the road requirements for the test route do not include...
read moreK53 Procedure For Changing Lanes | K53 Blog
To help you remember the correct sequence for changing lanes (and also for turning), here is an explanation that includes the reasons for each step in the process. In practice, this would all take place in a matter of seconds, if there are no vehicles behind you. This is also what is required for safe driving and a reduction in road collisions and crashes. Before changing lanes, the driver must signal his intention to do so. However, before signalling, one must first check in the mirrors and both blind spots to see if it will be safe to...
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