The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) wants the government and industry to consider minimum insurance requirements for trucks, buses, and vehicles transporting dangerous goods, warning that crashes involving these vehicles can have consequences extending well beyond the vehicles themselves.
Heavy-vehicle accidents can cause extensive damage to roads, bridges, and surrounding infrastructure. Incidents involving dangerous goods can also have significant environmental and community consequences, potentially creating financial liabilities beyond the immediate cost of a collision.
The proposal forms part of SAIA’s broader call, issued during Transport Month, for stronger road-safety measures and wider access to motor insurance. The association estimates that about 65% of vehicles on South Africa’s roads are uninsured, leaving motorists exposed to potentially substantial losses when accidents involve drivers who cannot cover the damage they cause.
SAIA also supports renewed discussion about an appropriate compulsory third-party motor property insurance framework. Any such proposal would need to take affordability, enforcement, and consumer protection into account.
Driver behaviour remains a road-safety concern
SAIA said more than 90% of road crashes are linked to human error, including distracted driving, fatigue, speeding, poor judgement, driving under the influence, and failure to wear seatbelts.
Its analysis of motor claims data collected over the past three years showed a 55:45 male-to-female ratio in accident claims. Separately, figures from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) showed that men accounted for 76.5% of road fatalities in 2023, compared with 19.6% for women.
However, the two datasets measure different outcomes and should not be treated as directly comparable indicators of driving risk. SAIA cautioned against drawing simplistic conclusions from demographic data alone.
“Road safety is ultimately driven by behaviour, not gender,” said Lebohang Tsotetsi, SAIA’s insurance risks manager.
Factors such as driving exposure, annual mileage, road conditions, vehicle condition, and driving practices influence accident outcomes, Tsotetsi said. The focus should remain on reducing risky behaviour and improving safety for all road users.
SAIA also noted that claims data cannot provide a complete picture, because not every accident results in an insurance claim. It called for closer collaboration between the insurance industry and the government to develop more comprehensive datasets to support evidence-based interventions.
The financial cost of uninsured vehicles
The motor insurance protection gap has consequences for households, businesses, insurers, and the state.
For an uninsured motorist, a collision can mean losing access to an essential household asset or facing repair and replacement costs that create long-term financial pressure. Drivers may also be liable for damage caused to another person’s vehicle or property but may lack the means to pay.
The Road Accident Fund provides compensation for qualifying claims involving injury or death, but it does not cover damage to vehicles, property, or other third-party assets. Motorists therefore remain financially exposed to these costs following a crash.
SAIA believes wider access to affordable insurance could help limit these losses.
“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,” Tsotetsi said.
A broader response to road risk
Alongside minimum insurance requirements for heavy and dangerous-goods vehicles, SAIA called for stronger roadworthiness standards, better operator compliance, and improved driver training.
The association also identified better data collection and sharing, more stringent driver licensing and training standards, enhanced enforcement, and the use of education, incentives and technology to encourage safer behaviour as priorities.
Tsotetsi said Transport Month should prompt a broader discussion about how road safety and financial protection can be addressed together.
“South Africa needs an integrated response that connects road safety with financial protection,” he said.
