Bad Road Conditions Affect SA Insurance

Number of car claims increasing due to poor road conditions Santam urges drivers to use better maintained national roads.

The conditions of many roads in South Africa are nothing to be proud of, and their deterioration is actually affecting the short term insurance industry in the country.

According to Santam Insurance, there has been a significant number of claims because of poor road conditions.

As a result, South Africans are encouraged to steer away from alternate routes and use better maintained national roads.

Around 60% of all South African roads are in poor condition, meaning that for every 100km of traveling you do on the roads, 60km of the distance have the potential to damage or ruin your car.

"Pothole damage to a business or private vehicle does not begin and end with a car insurance claim," said the Head of Commercial Business at Santam, Louise Pharo.

"It has far reaching and significant implications for the wider cost of insurance, insurance excess, additional expenses such as car hire and towing costs."

She also said that the inconvenience factor for drivers is definitely significant.

Pothole accidents have also caused a number of deaths or serious injuries in the past.

Damage to a car from driving on bad roads should also be taken into account.? Brakes and clutches are the worst affected.

The only thing that consumers can do to limit the damage is to make sure that that they have sufficient short term insurance "...no matter how carefully you drive and no matter how fervently you believe that pothole damage will never happen to you," said Pharo.