The Road Accident Fund (RAF) says it is aware of a trend in which people throw themselves in front of moving vehicles to claim compensation from the fund.
According to RAF spokesperson Boniswa Matshoba, such people wait for the vehicles to slow down enough to avoid being killed before throwing themselves in the way.
“This behaviour is dangerous and adds unnecessary pressure on the fund, which must assess and investigate claims of rightful claimants efficiently.
“The RAF does not compensate someone who intentionally causes a motor vehicle accident, even if this results in serious injuries.
“In the event of death, the RAF further does not compensate beneficiaries of those who are the authors of their own misfortune.
“The RAF Act requires that the respective degrees of fault, blame or negligence, among other things, must be determined upon receiving a claim.
“We acknowledge road users may be faced with socio-economic challenges. However, road safety and road crash prevention efforts must remain a priority to all as they contribute towards the reduction of accidents,” said Matshoba.
She added that a total of 49 631 claims were declined from 2021/2022 to 2023/24.
The reasons for this include cases where a claimant was solely responsible for causing an accident, the claimant died before finalisation of the claim, injuries sustained were so minor that no claim for damages arose and claims that were lodged fraudulently.
The fund states that over the last five years, South Africa recorded a total of 7 987 road fatalities during the festive season.
Festive season road crash statistics cover a 42-day period, from December 1 to January 11 each year.
“A total of 84% of these fatal road crashes resulted from human conduct. Pedestrians and passengers were the most affected road users at 40 per cent and 33 per cent respectively, followed by drivers (26%) and cyclists (1%),” said Matshoba.
Road users are urged to also remember that the Fund does not compensate for the death itself but only pays for the actual costs to cremate the deceased or bury them in a grave.
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Road safety tips:
• Wear bright clothing when walking after sunset.
• Don’t run when crossing the road. Be alert and walk.
• Cross the road only where it is safe to do so.
• Do not drink and drive.
• Do not text and drive.
• Make sure that you inflate your tyres to the correct tyre pressure recommendation.
• Keep a safe following distance.
• Do not drive or walk on the road unsupervised if you are not feeling well.
If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, the RAF contact centre is reachable on 087 820 1 111 from Monday to Friday, 07:45 to 16:00.
Claimants may also contact the RAF’s contact centre on their WhatsApp number 071 605 4707, via SMS on 44930 or by email on [email protected]
In addition, the RAF is reachable through its offices countrywide, details of which are available on its website on www.raf.co.za.
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