Our precious cargo

The holiday season has arrived with aplomb and all of us are looking forward to taking well-deserved breaks with friends and family.

This is a very busy time of the year, where families embark on epic road and other journeys, and bottles are popped left, right and centre. It goes without saying that the country's roads will be filled to capacity with local and foreign motorists on their way to the gorgeous destinations and epic landscapes that are scattered throughout our beautiful country.

It is also a very dangerous time, as impatience and other attitude problems on our roads may well lead to collisions. Inevitably there will also be those idiots among us who still believe they can drive drunk or recklessly and endanger others. We will be carrying precious cargo in our vehicles again this year, our loved ones, and this should be enough reason to exercise the utmost caution and respect on the roads. It has once again been a sad year, where many people have already lost their lives or were maimed and injured in car crashes. We cannot afford to further contribute to these statistics, and of course it is up to all of us to make that difference this festive season. It starts with displaying patience and being courteous while behind the wheel. There is no need to rush to get to a destination a few minutes earlier. In fact, you could end up not arriving at all.

Also, passengers should not be scared to speak up when a driver is displaying worrisome behaviour. It would be better to pull off the road and address this, before proceeding. Our families will be in our care on the roads in the days and weeks ahead toward Christmas and New Year. Let's make a conscious effort to arrive safely at our destinations. Let us display the kind of exemplary behaviour that takes full cognisance of the cargo we are transporting to and from our holidays.