With the poor state of many roads in SA, any assistance in this regard is welcome, including corporates working with municipalities to fix them, such as the Pothole Patrol in partnership with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Discovery Insure and Dial Direct.
Pothole Assist is an insurance offered by RoadCover.co.za, which manages your claims with the relevant roads authority if you damage your vehicle’s tyres or rims after hitting a pothole on SA roads.
For a monthly fee of R59, their Pothole Assist service covers the costs of lodging claims on your behalf to recover the maximum possible compensation through various road agencies.
Sanral is responsible for the management, maintenance and development of SA's national roads and some provincial and regional routes. Claims on municipal roads are handed to agencies such as the JRA.
As a member you begin the process by contacting the claims department where you will be assigned to a RoadCover consultant and you have to submit corresponding proof such as damage to vehicle, and images of the offending pothole and the road name.
The process takes at least 15 working days and RoadCover claims a 95% success rate. However potential members should be aware that they aren’t covered for incidents outside SA's borders or when driving on unregistered roads.
Also, government funds earmarked for paying out pothole damage claims are about R1bn behind in unpaid claims, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
A tyre repair centre that Motor News contacted says about 40% of their repairs are for pothole damage.
Insurance companies often include rim and tyre damage as part of their comprehensive cover.
Natasha Kawulesar of Outsurance says: "Our comprehensive vehicle cover provides cover for incidents where a vehicle is damaged due to driving into a pothole.
“This is part of our standard cover with the vehicle excess being applicable. Both the damage to the tyres and any damage to the vehicle would be covered.”
Dotsure has a separate product that covers tyre damage up to the value of R2,400 per claim and wheel damage up to R4,800 per claim with an overall annual limit of R8,100 for tyre and wheel damage. Premiums start from R121 per month but vary according to risk factors and customer profiles.
Affordable pothole insurance now available to SA motorists
Senior Motoring Correspondent
With the poor state of many roads in SA, any assistance in this regard is welcome, including corporates working with municipalities to fix them, such as the Pothole Patrol in partnership with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Discovery Insure and Dial Direct.
Pothole Assist is an insurance offered by RoadCover.co.za, which manages your claims with the relevant roads authority if you damage your vehicle’s tyres or rims after hitting a pothole on SA roads.
For a monthly fee of R59, their Pothole Assist service covers the costs of lodging claims on your behalf to recover the maximum possible compensation through various road agencies.
Sanral is responsible for the management, maintenance and development of SA's national roads and some provincial and regional routes. Claims on municipal roads are handed to agencies such as the JRA.
As a member you begin the process by contacting the claims department where you will be assigned to a RoadCover consultant and you have to submit corresponding proof such as damage to vehicle, and images of the offending pothole and the road name.
The process takes at least 15 working days and RoadCover claims a 95% success rate. However potential members should be aware that they aren’t covered for incidents outside SA's borders or when driving on unregistered roads.
Also, government funds earmarked for paying out pothole damage claims are about R1bn behind in unpaid claims, according to the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
A tyre repair centre that Motor News contacted says about 40% of their repairs are for pothole damage.
Insurance companies often include rim and tyre damage as part of their comprehensive cover.
Natasha Kawulesar of Outsurance says: "Our comprehensive vehicle cover provides cover for incidents where a vehicle is damaged due to driving into a pothole.
“This is part of our standard cover with the vehicle excess being applicable. Both the damage to the tyres and any damage to the vehicle would be covered.”
Dotsure has a separate product that covers tyre damage up to the value of R2,400 per claim and wheel damage up to R4,800 per claim with an overall annual limit of R8,100 for tyre and wheel damage. Premiums start from R121 per month but vary according to risk factors and customer profiles.
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