Posts Tagged ‘drink driving’

Alcohol, driving and car insurance don’t mix!

Written on April 15th, 2010 by admin
Categories: Car Insurance Advice, Car Insurance Claims

This is not new information – we should all know by now that impaired or drunk driving is extremely dangerous! What might be news are the efforts from car insurance companies to place greater focus on communicating these risks to their clients.

I have received an email from a friend who received such correspondence from his car insurer and would like to share this on the Car Insurance Blog:

“Alarming statistics are proving that the 70% of road accidents and consequential deaths in South Africa is as a result of alcohol abuse.

Apart from the extensive consequences involved as far as your criminal record is concerned, you will also be tortured with the agonizing self-reproaching thought of you being the reason of a person’s (usually innocent) injuries, which could so often end up in disability, or death.

To complicate matters even more, it also entails a huge implication as far as your Insurance is concerned. Your Insurance Company will not indemnify you for any damages to vehicles or other property, should you be found guilty of driving whilst under the influence or exceeding the statutory alcohol limit. What’s more, you will not have any cover for Third Party Liability.

Insurance Companies have the right to insist on blood test results and they may also submit blood samples to a laboratory for analysis. They may even go so far as to appoint investigators to investigate the culprit’s whereabouts preceding the accident.

It is therefore wise to play safe and rather allow somebody to take you home, make alternative arrangements and if possible, to sleep over, than taking a change, which could cause you a lifetime of regret.

Your life, as well as that of others, is so precious and we should take extreme care of it.

We can: By starting to act responsibly!!”

We are pleased to find that car insurers share these warnings with their clients. More companies should be doing so – not to protect their financial well-being, but to protect the lives not only of their clients, but also that of other road users!

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Tags: Car Insurance Advice, drink driving, drunk driving
Posted in Car Insurance Advice, Car Insurance Claims | No Comments »

Insured vehicle owners need a reality check about drunk driving

Written on December 21st, 2009 by admin
Categories: Car Insurance Advice, Road Safety, Safe Driving Tips

It was revealed by the Department of Transport on the 17th of December that, since the start of December, more than 2 000 drivers were arrested for drinking and driving on South African roads. More than 500 were arrested in the Eastern Cape alone and a further 320 in KwaZulu-Natal.

In attempts to curb this drunk driving behaviour the Western Cape launched the Safely Home Anti-Drunk Driving Operations War Room (SHADOW). This facility which is sponsored by the SAB will assist with enforcement and is equipped to accurately measure a driver’s blood alcohol concentration level through a single breath sample.

It has also been revealed that the R50-million ‘reality check’ campaign is the largest investment to date by the SAB in raising awareness about the negative consequences of irresponsible drinking. Intended to be a complementary campaign to other external and internal programmes, both from SAB and other companies and strategic stakeholders (such as law enforcement agencies and government), the campaign aims to educate drinkers on the personal and societal consequences of drinking while pregnant and driving under the influence.

On the car insurance blog many of our visitors has come to the Blog via search engines by asking the question “Will my insurance pay if I drive drunk?”

At this time of the festive season, it is important not only to share and create awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, but also share a few realities with our insured car owners:

Will my car insurance pay if I drive drunk?

No – if it is found that you were driving drunk, your insurer may reject your insurance claim?

Will drunk driving affect my insurance premium?

Yes – if asked for previous convictions or traffic violations and it is declared that you were convicted of drunk driving, your insurance premium will be increased base on the higher risk that you present as a driver. Failure to disclose these facts will be fraud and may lead to your claim being rejected.

How much is too much to drink before exceeding the legal limit?

As a general guide more than 2 drinks will take you over the legal limit. There are however many variables that could affect your breath and blood measurement.

How much may I drink to be a safe driver?

The answer is NONE! Alcohol leads to impairment of driving ability and even the slightest impairment of driving ability, reflex, concentration and other ability presents a danger when faced with an emergency!

Ask yourself the following question – if I am suddenly faced with another vehicle coming into my lane and threatening my safety in an emergency – how alert and physically fit would I want to be?

Best advice is not to drink and drive! Get a designated driver or drink at home!

We would like to share the ads from the SAB Reality Check Campaign