Driver safety tips for mudslides

You may not encounter a mudslide affecting a road daily. Yet, it happened recently in KwaZulu-Natal and normally follows heavy rains. Here’s what you need to know about a mudslide.¹

What are mudslides, how and when do they happen?

A mudslide can be in the making when lots of rain has saturated a soil slope. Then, they can suddenly start to move, triggered by some human activity.

Mudslides don’t just consist of soft, pleasant mud that moves slowly along; they are dangerous! Mudslides can contain large rocks and other debris that cause a lot of destruction as they go downhill.

Mudslides happen when the plant roots, that hold the soil together on slopes, are destroyed. Mudslides are likely to happen where road construction has altered slopes, surface run-off can be excessive, and where they have occurred before. In addition, mudslides can travel great distances¹.

Top tips to be better prepared and deal with a mudslide.

1. Research the area before travelling

Make sure you know the area you are about to visit and be alert to any local emergency actions and evacuation procedures¹. Make sure you have an emergency kit available in the boot of your car and check the weather before embarking on a trip into the countryside. Where possible, avoid travelling in areas where there has been a lot of rain recently.

2. Look out for signs of a mudslide

While driving you will hear and see indications that you are in a high-risk area for a mudslide. Before it hits, you can hear a mudslide coming along by the noise it makes, keeping your radio volume low could help you hear a mudslide approaching¹. Other destructive signs of moving mudslides are leaning telephone poles, trees, walls, and fences. When you see a bare patch on a hillside, i.e. no grass, beware and look out for fallen rocks or mud close to the road. ¹

3. What to do when encountering a mudslide

Get out of the way as quickly as possible and evacuate the area immediately. Be on the lookout for any flooding that usually follows a mudslide. If your home is in such a disaster area, arrange for an engineer to check your house’s foundations for any structural damage. ¹

You may be planning a trip on public roads in the mountains, where mudslides could possibly endanger you and damage your car. Please be careful and be mindful of the weather along your route. Also, be vigilant to changing road conditions and be cautious instead of taking a chance if there is a high chance of danger on the road ahead. Instead, stop at a safe spot like a petrol station and wait out the bad weather and potentially dangerous road conditions. For example, it is better to be late to arrive at your destination at a seaside resort than to be caught in a life-threatening situation.

Ensure your car insurance policy covers you adequately in such situations.

Are you looking for affordable car insurance? Get in touch with PMD and learn more about their affordable car insurance products with unique benefits like fixed premiums* and an excess that reduces to zero*. Remember, if you are stuck on the side of the road, PMD’s affordable Comprehensive cover includes 24-hour roadside assistance and towing service, among other excellent benefits.

 

* T’s and C’s apply.

 

Source:

 

¹https://www.tomorrow.io/weather/blog/mudslides-where-they-occur-safety-tips/

 

This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.