Rules of the road are in place to ensure all road users can travel safely and effectively on South African roads. Given the amount of fatalities resulting from poor driving on South African roads, driving safely is not only a legal requirement – it is a responsibility to fellow citizens to ensure they can live long and healthy lives.
Separately, failure to adhere to the rules of the road may lead to penalties in the form of fines, revoked licences or, in serious cases, prison penalties.
The legal definition of a road in South Africa is broad. It includes streets and highways, and also other places the public has access to – including bridges, beaches, riverbeds, car parks, reserve lands and road shoulders.
Because of this, you should apply the rules of the road at all times when you're driving, even when you aren't on a public road.