The N3 Route Marker Board. Photo by N3TC
You find yourself in a tense emergency situation on the freeway. After swiftly contacting emergency services, they urgently enquire about your location. It’s your first time on this route, and you’re clueless about your exact whereabouts.
In this dire moment, your beacon of hope becomes the route marker board, provided you understand its significance and know where to find it.
This article sheds light on the pivotal role these markers play in guiding lost and distressed motorists to safety during critical moments on the road.
The N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) shared more information about the route marker board, found on national highways, and how it is designed to help you ‘locate yourself’ in case you are in an emergency and you have to direct someone to where you are.
N3TC points out the importance of route marker boards, saying these boards provide essential information to first responders. The N3TC said that during emergencies, every second counted.
“Members of the Road Incident Management System (Rims) on the N3 Toll Route make an urgent appeal to road users to provide clear information about their location (including details about the nearest landmarks) in the event of an emergency,” the N3TC said.
“If you are ever stranded or involved in a crash, the information on the blue route marker boards will give first responders your exact location on the route. Route marker boards are placed at 200m intervals along the entire N3 Toll Route in both north- and southbound directions.”
Midlands EMS spokesperson Roland Robertson said: “Please, we urge you all to familiarise yourselves with route markers. These are on all national roads, and given the correct route marker we are able to get help to your exact location so much quicker.”
Robertson said that by knowing your route marker you could save lives by speedily getting the help you needed.
“We need the route you are travelling, as well as the section of the route, your kilometre position and then which direction,” Robertson said. “Please take note and use these whenever you need assistance in any form. Wishing you safe travels.”
According to a poster shared by the N3TC, for example:
The N3 is the road/route on which you are travelling.
The 10 next to the N3 indicates the section of the route on which you are travelling (section 10).
The 10,0 below indicates the kilometre position on the route section.
The N indicates the direction in which you are travelling (north).
