Tragically, highway deaths throughout this time are 25–30% greater in December than in different months. Elevated site visitors volumes, fatigue, and seasonal festivities additional enhance the dangers, underscoring the important significance of secure driving and correct automobile upkeep.
To assist guarantee a safer festive season, Ernest North, co-founder of digital insurance coverage platform Bare, shares important automobile upkeep and secure journey ideas forward of the vacation season.
1. Examine your automobile’s roadworthiness
Maintaining your automobile roadworthy will assist scale back your possibilities of being in an accident and guarantee a smoother claims expertise. Right here are some things that it’s best to test:
- Tyres: Go to a fitment centre to test your tyre tread depth. You need to rotate your tyres each 10 000–12 000km to make sure that your automobile doesn’t pull to at least one aspect.
- Lights and indicators: Take a look at all indicators, brake lights, reverse lights, and headlights.
- Brakes: Get your brake pads checked in the event that they haven’t been changed shortly. Brake pads usually want alternative each 75 000km, however some brake pads already have to be changed after 25 000km.
2. Guarantee all of your paperwork is updated
Your automobile licence disc must be renewed yearly. Additionally, test that each one potential drivers on your automobile have up-to-date driving licences. The licence must be renewed each 5 years, which incorporates an eye fixed take a look at.
3. Get the proper insurance coverage for cross-border journeys
Heading past South Africa’s borders? Examine in case your automobile insurance coverage covers journey in neighbouring international locations. Most South African automobile insurance coverage insurance policies present cowl for harm to your individual automobile in neighbouring international locations throughout Southern Africa. Nevertheless, some insurers would possibly restrict how lengthy they cowl your automobile whenever you’re in another country.
Additionally learn: Household contents insurance
In some neighbouring international locations, you’re legally required to have third-party insurance coverage. That is to guard you from individuals making claims towards you for bodily damage or property harm you might need induced. Most insurers don’t provide this cowl when you cross the South African border, so, you should definitely purchase this cowl earlier than you go.
4. Cowl your extras
In case you’ve added expensive equipment like roof racks, bullbars, or sound methods, replace your insurance coverage coverage to incorporate them.
Equally, in case you are travelling with costly gadgets like golf golf equipment, laptops, or jewelry, be certain they’re insured for his or her full worth by taking out single gadgets insurance coverage or specifying the gadgets beneath your house contents insurance coverage to make sure full protection whereas travelling.
5. Be ready and plan for emergencies
Save your insurer’s roadside emergency quantity in your cellphone so that you could rapidly name for assist if in case you have an accident or engine hassle. Bare prospects can contact them through their app. Overview accident protocols, similar to this information of dos and don’ts on the scene of an accident.
Additionally learn: Relationship between insurance and load-shedding
6. By no means overload your automobile
Exceeding your automobile’s load limits can result in tyre harm, diminished braking effectiveness, and compromised management. Follow weight and measurement limits for roof racks and different storage tools.
7. Follow secure driving habits
Keep rested and have a very good night time’s sleep earlier than an extended journey. Take breaks or swap drivers on lengthy journeys to stop fatigue. Whereas it’s the season to be jolly, by no means drink and drive. Plan forward and organize various transport if wanted, and all the time obey site visitors legal guidelines.
8. Be alert and keep secure
Bare claims stats present that it’s a false impression that crime largely occurs at night time and that we really see a spike at noon. So, bear in mind to stay alert and conscious even whereas on vacation. All the time attempt to park in safe, well-lit areas, and, double-check that your automobile is locked earlier than strolling away.
9. Pause your automobile insurance coverage for non-driving days
In case your automobile will keep parked at residence or the airport in the course of the holidays, use Bare’s CoverPause function to pause accident cowl for non-driving days, saving you as much as 50% on premiums whereas remaining protected towards theft, fireplace, and pure disasters.
Associated article: Ins and outs of building insurance
At Caxton, we make use of people to generate every day recent information, not AI intervention. Blissful studying!
