The Discovery Insure Holiday Drive Trends report showcases ideal road trip departure times, busiest traffic dates, and why driving without a stop isn’t worth it.

Discovery Insure’s December 2024 Holiday Drive Trends report shows that:

• There is a 26% increase in speeding over the holidays (driving 10 km/h over the speed limit) as drivers take advantage of open roads and less traffic.
  
  
• The most common road trip is Johannesburg to Durban, with more than half of these trips taking place between 15 and 24 December.
  
  
• Most long-distance trips start from 04:00 to 07:00. However, a departure after 08:00 results in drivers dealing with less traffic, across all journeys measured.
  
  
• Most people return from Durban on 2 January, making it the busiest day on the roads to drive back to Johannesburg.
  
  

Discovery Insure’s new Drive Trends research released on 12 December 2024, reveals critical information for staying safe on South African roads this December and January. Notably, Discovery Insure’s data reveals that with reduced bumper-to-bumper traffic, people tend to speed more over the year-end period.

The Discovery Insure Holiday Drive Trends report is an analysis of Discovery Insure Vitality Drive members’ driving behaviour data. It covers the year-end holidays (from 1 December to 31 January) from 2021 to 2023.

Speeding doesn’t get you there faster; only saves two to four minutes per hour travelled

According to the data, not only does speeding have a minimal impact on destination arrival time, but it also increases the likelihood of being in an accident.

This data was then compared to driver behaviour data over the rest of the year – February to November, during the three years covered – with over 12,000 trips analysed. Data was gathered from Vitality Drive members across all provinces but primarily concentrated on Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape.

“Our report reveals a 26% increase in speeding over the holiday period, which we define as driving at least 10 km/h over the speed limit, as drivers take advantage of open roads and less traffic,” says Robert Attwell, Discovery Insure CEO.

“During the December-January period, people are understandably eager to get to their holiday destinations as soon as possible. However, compared to those who stick to the speed limit, we found that those who speed only saved two to four minutes per hour travelled, depending on traffic. We encourage drivers to rather enjoy the journey and take a relaxed, safe trip down to the coast to avoid risking you and your passengers’ safety.”

Most common road trip is Joburg to Durban; doing it in one go doesn’t save much time

The analysis also shows that the most common road trip over the festive season is from Johannesburg to Durban, and more than half of these trips take place between 15 and 24 December.

“Our data shows that the trip from Johannesburg to Durban takes around six hours and 30 minutes, including one rest stop, which takes an average of 37 minutes,” says Attwell. “Around 7% of drivers make the journey in one go, which gives only a marginal time saving.”

People who don't take a rest stop drive 36% more aggressively in the second half of their trip than those who take rest stops. “Rather take a break so you are rested and alert, minimising your risk of unfocused driving that could lead to an accident. Taking a half-hour break really doesn’t delay your trip much at all.”

According to the report, most people drive back to Joburg from Durban between the 2^nd and the 5^th of January. This trip takes about six hours and 21 minutes, including an average rest stop of 34 minutes. Most people return from Durban on 2 January, making it the busiest day on the roads to drive back to Johannesburg.

“If possible, delay your return trip by a few days. As we get closer to 7 January, our data shows there are half as many cars on the road as on 2 January. And, in the week after 7 January, there are historically only 10% as many cars as on the day after New Year’s Day. If you can work remotely or extend your stay to avoid the traffic, you can significantly reduce your accident risk and arrive home safely,” advises Attwell.

According to the 2024 Discovery Insure Holiday Drive Trends report, more than half of road trips from Johannesburg to Durban take place between 15 and 24 December, and the busiest day to drive back from Durban to Johannesburg is 2 January.

To beat the traffic, consider a later start in the morning

Most long-distance trips start between 04:00 and 07:00. However a departure after 08:00 results in drivers dealing with less traffic, across all journeys measured.

Nearly a third of all road trips start between 04:00 and 07:00. However, to beat the traffic, consider a late start: only 9% of trips start between 07:00 and 08:00, and 12% start after 11:00.

Discovery Insure highlights importance of good driving behaviour in December and beyond

Improving driving behaviour during the holiday season is critical. According to the Road Traffic Management Corporation, most accidents over the 2023/24 holiday season occurred in the first, third and fourth weeks of December, and many of these accidents were fatal. Reasons for this included people driving after consuming alcohol at year-end parties to an increase in holiday traffic volumes on major routes, which heightens accident risk.

“At Discovery Insure, our mission is to create a nation of safer drivers, and leverage our data to guide us towards that goal,” says Attwell. Discovery Insure’s telematics-based Vitality Drive programme measures and rewards good driving behaviour, such as staying within the speed limit, accelerating and braking smoothly, and not using one’s cellphone while driving. “Broadly speaking, Discovery Insure data confirms that drivers on the Vitality Drive programme reduce their accident risk by 15% within the first month of joining,” adds Attwell.

“Thanks to Discovery Insure’s investment in technology and the Vitality Drive programme, we can unlock key insights to help our clients continuously improve their driving behaviour. Our Holiday Drive Trends report provides analysis that we hope will go a long way in keeping not only our clients but all South African road users safer this holiday season, and throughout the year,” concludes Attwell.

Download the 2024 Discovery Insure Holiday Drive Trends report here.