Rules of the road

Always obey traffic lights in this order: red (stop), amber (prepare to stop or proceed if past the stop line), green (proceed if safe). A flashing amber means proceed with caution. A flashing red means treat as a stop sign.

At an unmarked intersection: the vehicle on the right has right of way. At a T-junction: the through road has priority. Emergency vehicles (ambulance, fire engine, police) always have right of way — move to the left and stop. Pedestrians in a pedestrian crossing always have right of way.

Urban areas (within a city or town): 60 km/h. Rural roads (outside urban areas): 100 km/h. Freeways and national highways: 120 km/h. School zones and as posted: lower limits apply. Always match your speed to conditions — wet roads, poor visibility, and heavy traffic require slower speeds.

Only overtake when it is safe and legal. Never overtake: on a solid centre line, at intersections, on a hill crest or blind rise, near a railway crossing, in fog, or where there is a no-overtaking sign. Always overtake on the right (except stationary vehicles, cyclists, or where directed). Signal before, during, and after.

Never stop or park: within 1.5m of a fire hydrant, on a pedestrian crossing, within 9m of an intersection, blocking a driveway, on a freeway, where a solid yellow line is painted on the kerb. Always park in the direction of traffic flow.

Use headlights from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, and whenever visibility is less than 150m. Dim your lights for oncoming traffic within 150m and when following within 150m. Hazard lights are for stationary vehicles only — never use them while driving to indicate slow speed.

Legal blood alcohol limit: 0.05g/100ml for professional drivers; 0.05g/100ml for all drivers. Zero tolerance applies to learner drivers and professional drivers under certain regulations. Driving under the influence is a criminal offence in South Africa.