THE Easter holiday season is around the corner, with the prospect of long weekends and road trips for many. But before you leave, make sure your vehicle is safe and roadworthy, not forgetting to check the state of your vehicle’s windows. Along with the December holidays, the Easter holiday season is a time of peak traffic on our national roads, which increases the risk of road accidents.

According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, most fatal road accidents over the Easter weekend in 2024 occurred after sunset, and nearly 95% of them were caused by human factors. With everyone hoping to enjoy relaxing family breaks, it’s crucial to be cautious on the road, particularly in bad weather and after dark, and to make sure your car is in good condition before the trip.

Before departing on a long trip, it’s important to have your car serviced, check tyres and have wheels aligned – and don’t forget to check the state of your vehicle’s windows. Even a minor chip on a windscreen could refract light and impair visibility. Worse, it could impact the structural integrity of the entire windscreen and lead to a much larger crack when the vehicle is driven over bumpy roads, for example.

On public holidays, many suppliers are closed and there are more road accidents and more vehicles needing repairs. However, if you do suffer windscreen chips and damage while on the road, there are mobile units that will be able to repair them for you, wherever you are – while on holiday, before or after.

Another important pre-trip safety consideration is windshield camera calibration. Some vehicles with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) will need the ADAS cameras calibrated when windscreens are replaced.

This calibration process is specific for vehicles with ADAS sensors and involves static or dynamic calibration to fine-tune the positioning and safety features of windshield camera sensors. This ensures that the ‘eyes’ of the ADAS system perform effectively and tell the system computer when to stop, when you are drifting into another lane, or be aware of potential obstacles and dangers like pedestrians.

Typically, the sensors should be calibrated if the camera is malfunctioning, if the windshield has been replaced, or if there is a change in the vehicle’s alignment.

While vehicles don’t need routine and regular ADAS calibrating, it’s worth knowing when last was yours done. Checking that your vehicle’s glass is sound and ready for a road trip is simple.

Holiday season is also peak time for opportunists, with smash and grab attacks. Gauteng experienced the highest number of cases at 5,286 – while in Cape Town alone, smash and grab incidents spiked by 64% to 5,149 cases during last year’s summer holiday season.

Of course, prevention is always better than cure, especially with opportunistic crimes such as smash and grabs, so we recommend minimising the risk of attacks by keeping valuables out of sight in your car, keeping your doors locked, being vigilant when stopped at intersections and traffic lights, and leaving room to maneuver in case of suspicious activity.