SAIA marks Transport Month with call to improve road safety

Johannesburg - As South Africa observes October Transport Month, the South African Insurance Association (SAIA) is urging motorists to make road safety a personal priority while highlighting the need to address the country's significant motor insurance protection gap.

Road crashes continue to have a devastating impact on lives, communities and the economy. While public attention rightly centres on reducing road fatalities and protecting vulnerable road users, stronger action is needed to address the unsafe driver behaviour that contributes to these tragedies. More than 90% of road crashes are linked to human error, including distraction, fatigue, poor judgement, speeding, driving under the influence and failure to wear seatbelts.

SAIA's analysis of motor claims data collected over the past three years shows a 55:45 male-to-female ratio in accident claims. This should be viewed alongside broader road safety data from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), which found that men accounted for 76.5% of road fatalities in 2023, while women accounted for 19.6%. However, SAIA cautions against drawing simplistic conclusions from demographic data alone.

"Road safety is ultimately driven by behaviour, not gender," says Lebohang Tsotetsi, SAIA Insurance Risks Manager. "Factors such as driving exposure, annual mileage, road conditions, vehicle condition and driving practices all influence accident outcomes. The focus should remain on reducing risky behaviour and improving safety for all road users."

SAIA notes that claims data alone  cannot provide a complete picture. Not every accident results in an insurance claim, and further  research is needed to better understand claim frequency, claim severity and driver exposure across different groups. This underscores the need for improved collaboration between industry and government to develop comprehensive datasets that support evidence-based interventions.

Beyond the human cost of road crashes, driver risk also creates significant economic consequences. Accidents result in losses for households, businesses, insurers, public infrastructure and the broader fiscus.

A major concern is South Africa's motor insurance protection gap. SAIA estimates that approximately 65% of vehicles on South African roads are uninsured. This means motorists with insurance face a significant likelihood of being involved in a collision with an uninsured driver who may be unable to cover the cost of repairs or damages.

For uninsured motorists, the consequences can be severe. A damaged vehicle may represent the loss of a critical household asset, while repair costs, vehicle replacement expenses and potential legal liabilities can lead to  long-term financial hardship.

Although the Road Accident Fund provides social protection for qualifying injury and death claims, it does not cover damage to vehicles, property or other third-party assets. As a result, many South Africans remain financially exposed following road accidents.

To help address this challenge, SAIA supports ongoing engagement on affordable and accessible insurance solutions, including renewed discussion around an appropriate compulsory third-party motor property insurance framework. Any such proposal would need to carefully consider affordability, enforcement and consumer protection.

The Association also believes that the insurance requirements for trucks, buses and other heavy vehicles deserve closer attention. Research indicates that heavy-vehicle crashes are often more severe and can cause extensive damage to roads, bridges and surrounding infrastructure. Incidents involving dangerous goods can have even greater environmental, financial and community impacts.

SAIA encourages government and industry stakeholders to explore appropriate minimum insurance requirements for heavy and dangerous-goods vehicles, alongside stronger roadworthiness standards, operator compliance measures and driver training programmes.

Lebohang Tsotetsi, SAIA Insurance Risks Manager, says Transport Month should serve as a catalyst for a broader national conversation about safer and better-protected mobility.

"South Africa needs an integrated response that connects road safety with financial protection. Key priorities should include better data collection and sharing, stringent driver licensing and training standards, wider access to affordable insurance products, enhanced enforcement, and the use of incentives, education and technology to promote safer behaviour."

"Closing the motor insurance protection gap will not prevent every collision. However, it can help prevent a road accident from becoming a financial catastrophe for families, businesses and the state, while evidence-led safety interventions can help reduce crashes in the first place."