Earlier this year the Arrive Alive website received a request for assistance from a driver who crashed into a kudu. I would like to quote from this email:
“On 15 June 2008 I was travelling on N9 between Middleburg and Graaff-Reinet. It was in the evening and I collided with a Kudu. My wife sustained back and neck injuries my son and myself were lucky not to be seriously injured.
My car was completely damaged and unfortunately it was not insured and I lost it. I am still paying the instalment though. I went to RAF to report this by I was chased away, they told me that we cannot be compensated.
Can you perhaps advise me on what to do or where to go in order to get assistance?”
We referred this to the Road Accident Fund who promptly replied as follows:
“Good afternoon
The RAF compensates where there was a negligent driving of another motor vehicle. In this instance the driver collided into an animal there was no other motor vehicle involved unfortunately in terms of the Act , the RAF cannot compensate for the injuries.”
In this Blog I would like to focus on the importance of having car insurance. The accident with the kudu is something that might not have been expected – but there are so many other factors that should be considered!
Can you go on the road without insurance whilst knowing?
– More than 14,000 people die yearly in vehicle accidents on our roads
– Nearly 40% of these fatalities are pedestrian fatalities
– Many rural roads have no fences to keep cattle and other stray animals away from the roads
– There have been many reports of pot-holes left unattended
– Contributing factors to road crashes include drunk driving, contravention of traffic laws and non-roadworthiness of vehicles
These facts can only lead to one conclusion – the safety of you and your vehicle is not dependent only of your own driving ability – but also of many other threats on the road over which you have no control.
What you can control is the cost of replacement of your vehicle once it is damaged in an accident!
Rest assured –it is better to be insured!!
For more on Car Insurance view the Car Insurance and Road Safety Blog
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