The Road Accident Fund (RAF)says it is aware of the trend where people deliberately get involved in collisions in order to claim from the Fund.
According to the Fund, would-be fraudsters wait for vehicles to slow down enough before getting in the way – so that they don’t get killed on impact – when throwing themselves onto moving vehicles.
Serious injuries
“This behaviour is dangerous and adds unnecessary pressure on the Fund, which must assess and investigate claims of rightful claimants efficiently,” said the RAF, in a statement.
The RAF said it does not compensate people who intentionally cause motor vehicle accidents, 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,” said the RAF.
The RAF Act requires that the respective degrees of fault, blame or negligence, amongst 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,” RAF said.
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 the road crash; claims where the claimant died before finalisation of the claim; cases where injuries sustained were so minor that no claim for damages arose, and claims that were lodged fraudulently.
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 1 December to 11 January each year. Eight-four percent of these fatal road crashes were a result of human conduct.
Pedestrians and passengers were the most affected road users at 40% and 33% respectively, followed by drivers (26%) and cyclists (1%).
Road users are urged to 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.
The RAF values all road users and understands that in the unfortunate event of death in a road crash due to poor human behaviour, the experience can be a devastating one for the family.
“We want to contribute to making your holiday and travel experiences more peaceful and meaningful by highlighting the following road safety tips:
• Wear bright coloured clothes 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.
In the unfortunate event of being involved in a motor vehicle accident, the RAF contact centre is reachable on 087 820 1 111 from Monday to Friday, 07h45 to 16h00.
Claimants may also contact the RAF’s contact centre on the WhatsApp number 071 605 4707, via SMS on 44930 or by email on contactcentre@raf.co.za.
In addition, the RAF is reachable through its offices countrywide, details of which are available on its website on www.raf.co.za.
Desperate people do desperate things, we guess …
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