What's Happening?

Facebook Twitter Youtube Linkedin

NEED HELP? QUESTIONS@FIA.ORG.ZA

become A FIA member TODAY
member login

The rainy season road hack

ARTICLE BY

  • Santam

SHARE THIS POST

South Africa has the 10th longest road network in the world with roughly 60% of the roads potholed and in need of maintenance. Reports have found that 80% of cases have left critical damage to cars, and not just the tyres.

Marius Steyn, Personal Lines Underwriting Manager at Santam says, “With the winter months rapidly approaching comes the impact of increased risk and degrading of the roads. One can never be prepared for the havoc that is caused.”

Potholes not only cause damages to your tyres but – if severe enough – also damage your vehicle’s rims, which can lead to a number of additional mechanical problems such as costly vehicle alignment and suspension issues.

“Potholes are a reality for our South African roads and affect thousand nationwide,” shares Steyn. “You’ll find the condition of the national road network in South Africa is in a pretty good state. However, when it comes to provincial and municipal areas, there is still a lot of work to be done.”

The Dos and don’ts of avoiding potholes:

Keep your eyes on the road. Because of the sun, potholes create a dark shadow on the road which you are able to spot from a distance. Maintain a safe driving speed if you are in a heavily affected region so that you have enough time to act and avoid danger.

Know to break or to go. If you spot a pothole too late and you are driving at a speed, it is best to go through it and not to break dramatically as it will cause the front wheel to stop turning and potentially get stuck. Release the break when entering the pothole as it would allow the front wheel to spin its way out of the hole.

Avoid high speed. If you hit a pothole at high speed, it has the potential to severely damage your vehicle which will need to be repaired. Common areas to succumb to damage are your tyres, wheel rims, steering wheel, suspensions, exhaust system and undercarriage.

Be aware of other drivers. If you are able to spot a pothole in time to break, first make sure there are no vehicles behind you to avoid another accident. Keep a safe following distance on the road so as to avoid hitting another car when encountering a pothole.

Be extra careful when it has been raining. Rainy weather can have an impact on pothole visibility and can cause serious damage to a vehicle if you are travelling at a speed.

 

What do I need in order to claim?

“As a driver make sure that you have car insurance that covers you for the unexpected,” concludes Steyn. Gradual wear and tear over a period due to normal road usage is not covered in terms of the policy. If you however drive through a pothole and this causes damage to your vehicle we would require you to submit a claim as soon as possible for safety reasons as the safety of you and your family is priority to us and secondly to prevent further damages to the vehicle.

Here are the key steps to take:

1. You need to contact your insurer to inform them of the incident and be sure to include the specifics of the indicant in terms of when, where and how the indicant occurred with exact time, date and location details.

2. It is also advisable to visit a tyre and wheel specialist soon after the indicant to confirm if the vehicle is safe for you to continue with your journey.

3. Finally, in the case of emergency repairs, always take photos of the damage to the vehicle.

Subscriber Terms and Conditions

  1. APPLICATION OF TERMS
    • These terms and conditions (“Subscriber Terms”) apply to the subscription by any qualifying member of the South African Underwriting Managers Association NPC (“SAUMA”) to the services and benefits offered by FIA Services (Pty) Ltd (“FIA Services”) under the SAUMA affiliation arrangement (“Subscription”).

  2. NATURE OF SUBSCRIPTION
    • A Subscription under this arrangement:
      • does not constitute membership of FIA NPC;
      • does not confer any voting rights or governance participation in FIA NPC; and
      • is governed solely by the contractual relationship between the Subscriber and FIA Services.

  1. ELIGIBILITY
    • To qualify for the Subscription, the applicant must, at the time of application, be a current paid-up member of SAUMA.
    • FIA Services will verify the applicant’s SAUMA membership status with SAUMA prior to activation, and may re-verify such status periodically.
    • If a Subscriber ceases to be a paid-up member of SAUMA, the Subscription will correspondingly be terminated.
    • Applicants are required to authorise FIA Services to confirm their SAUMA membership status with SAUMA as part of the application process.

  1. SERVICES
    • The Subscription entitles the Subscriber to the following benefits:
      • Complimentary access to the FIA CPD Platform;
      • Complimentary access to the FIA Insight Magazine (digital edition);
      • Advertising opportunities on FIA platforms at a discounted rate of 15% (fifteen percent) off the prevailing published rates; and
      • Invitations to attend FIA Technical Webinars annually.
    • FIA Services reserves the right to update, vary or substitute the Services from time to time, provided that the overall value and nature of the benefits remain materially the same.

  1. FEES AND PAYMENT
    • The monthly subscription fee is R260.00 (two hundred and sixty rand) for up to seven registered individuals (Key Individuals and Representatives), and R36.00 (thirty-six rand) per additional registered individual thereafter, excluding VAT.
    • The Subscriber shall provide FIA Services with the required details of each individual to be registered under the Subscription for the purposes of activation and billing.
    • All fees are exclusive of VAT, which shall be charged at the prevailing statutory rate.
    • Subscription fees are reviewed annually in March and may be adjusted with effect from 1 April.
    • Any changes to the Subscription, including but not limited to the number of Representatives and Key Individuals registered under the Subscription, may only be effected once annually during the annual review period in March of each year, with such changes taking effect from 1 April.
    • Subscription fees shall be billed monthly in arrears, unless the Subscriber elects an annual billing cycle at the time of application.
    • The Subscriber shall ensure that all billing information (including contact details, authorised signatories and bank account details) is kept accurate and up to date.
    • Non-payment of subscription fees may result in suspension of access to the Services until such fees are brought up to date.
    • The Subscriber acknowledges and agrees that all subscription fees payable under these Subscriber Terms may be collected by way of debit order, which shall be processed by the holding company, FIA NPC (The Financial Intermediary Association of South Africa), on behalf of FIA Services. Payment to FIA NPC shall be deemed to constitute valid and sufficient discharge of the Subscriber’s payment obligations to FIA Services under these Subscriber Terms.

  1. ONBOARDING
    • Onboarding will be conducted as a Subscription with FIA Services under the SAUMA affiliation arrangement.
    • Onboarding will not confer FIA NPC membership status or any associated rights.
    • Onboarding is conditional on confirmation of the Subscriber’s current SAUMA membership at the time of application

  1. DATA PROTECTION
    • FIA Services will process all personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) as set out in our POPIA policies.
    • By subscribing, the Subscriber authorises FIA Services to confirm their SAUMA membership status with SAUMA and to process personal information for the purposes of fulfilling the Subscription.

  1. TERMINATION
    • The Subscriber may terminate the Subscription by giving FIA Services one calendar month’s written notice.
    • FIA Services may terminate the Subscription on one calendar month’s written notice, or immediately if the Subscriber breaches these Subscriber Terms and fails to remedy such breach within 14 (fourteen) days of receiving written notice.
    • Termination of the SAUMA–FIA Services affiliation agreement shall not automatically terminate these Subscriber Terms.
    • Termination by the Subscriber shall not relieve the Subscriber of liability for any subscription fees accrued up to the effective date of termination.
    • FIA Services may suspend or terminate the Subscription with immediate effect in the event of non-payment of fees by the Subscriber.

  1. GENERAL
    • These Subscriber Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
    • Any disputes arising under these Subscriber Terms shall be dealt with in accordance with the dispute resolution provisions contained in the FIA NPC membership terms and conditions, as modified to reflect that the contractual relationship is with FIA Services.
    • Any notices required under these Subscriber Terms may be validly delivered by email to the addresses provided in the Subscriber’s application form, and such notices shall be deemed received on the day of transmission if sent during business hours.
    • The Subscriber may not assign, cede or transfer any of its rights or obligations under these Subscriber Terms without the prior written consent of FIA Services.
    • No variation of these Subscriber Terms shall be of any force or effect unless reduced to writing and signed by both FIA Services and the Subscriber.