iWYZE has a weekly claims meeting where, as a team, we discuss specific claims, trends and industry news. It is an opportunity for vigorous, sometimes heated debate and discussion but the one topic that keeps rearing its ugly head is drinking and driving.
If you look at the claims that we rejected during 2013, the portion involving drinking and driving increased by 40% when compared to 2012. We traditionally experience a spike in the number of claims involving drinking and driving over the festive season. Sadly this is a growing problem and not limited to a particular time of the year.
The number of claims submitted annually and which appear to involve drinking and driving, shows that South Africans still don’t understand the consequences of driving under the influence and have little or no respect for the country’s laws and rules of the road. According to a recent tweet by the Road Accident Fund, 50% of those killed in road accidents were found to be 3 times over the legal alcohol limit.
I was also shocked when our research revealed that only 5% of the South African population knows what the legal blood alcohol limit is for driving and I can only imagine that even fewer people know that insurers don’t need a blood test to reject your claim for driving under the influence.
I believe that education is the most important tool in the battle against driving under the influence which is why iWYZE started an awareness campaign called iDriveWYZE in 2012.
To date, we have breathalysed and educated over 5 500 people about the dangers of drinking and driving at entertainment events where alcohol is permitted or sold. Our breathalyser operators are trained to properly breathalyse and educate members of the public.
We have partnered *Alcohol Breathalysers (a leading South African breathalyser supplier) and more recently with Brandhouse’s drunk driving awareness campaign called Drive Dry.
During December 2013 we sponsored Drive More Safely – a NPO involved in road safety and supported those doing valuable work with the Western and Eastern Cape Provincial Traffic Departments like handing out child safety seats and information packs about the dangers of drinking and driving and the importance of wearing a seat belt.
I believe that we are making a difference and that we will see a real change in the South African public’s behavior over time if:
• other corporates get involved;
• law enforcement becomes more rigorous; and
• there is increased awareness and education.
My advice to anyone thinking of getting behind the wheel is to err on the side of caution and to be responsible – don’t drink and drive.
*www.idrivewyze.co.za
@iDriveWYZE
*www.breathalysers.co.za
@BreathalyserGuy
*www.drivedry.co.za
@DriveDry