South African motorists have been warned against travelling on the N3 highway at night, as attacks on foreign truck drivers continue to escalate.

The N3 Toll Route starts at the Cedara interchange in KwaZulu-Natal and ends at the Heidelberg South interchange in Gauteng. It is one of the busiest in the country, connecting Johannesburg and Durban.

In a notice published by the N3 toll concession, the group warned that there has been an increase of violent incidents, and advised motorists to try and plan their trips during the day.

“In the light of recent disruptive protests, incidents of criminality and attempts to obstruct the free flow of traffic on some of our country’s major transport networks – including the N3 Toll Route – the N3 Toll Concession (N3TC) strongly advises road users to avoid night-time travel, if at all possible,” it said.

“It is advisable to rather plan long distance trips during daylight hours,” said new N3TC’s commercial manager, Con Roux.

“Disruptive actions by protesters, mostly aimed at the trucking industry, are often opportunistic and unpredictable and mostly occur under the cover of darkness. It is also not limited to a specific area/location or route.”

Speaking to the Sunday Times of South Africa, the Road Freight Association (RFA) said that the attacks on drivers have left dozens dead or injured and caused R1.2 billion in damages to trucks and cargo.

It further threatened to halt deliveries across South Africa if the government does not act swiftly.