We have discussed on the Car Insurance Blog the factors contributing to the cost of car insurance premiums. These include driver characteristics, vehicle characteristics, purpose of use and usage, area where the vehicle is to be driven etc.
But why is the area important?
Car insurance premiums are paid to cover the risk of vehicle loss and damage – and claim statistics reveal to car insurance companies that there is a greater risk of claims in specific areas! These greater risks can be attributed to:
- More vehicle accidents on the roads in a specific area
- Increased criminal activity and incidents of hijacking, vehicle theft and smash-and-grabs
Why do we have more accidents in a specific area?
We would like to offer the following contributing factors:
- Greater number of vehicles on the roads
- More licensed and unlicensed drivers
- Increased traffic congestion
- Hectic lifestyles contributing to speeding, road rage and frustrated driving behaviour
- Road conditions, road works and potholes in a specific area
- Weather conditions and road hazards from rain, hail, mist, smoke etc
All of the above could result in more expensive car insurance premiums payable for driving in Johannesburg. Car Insurance companies have very detailed claims and crime statistics at their disposal to calculate the risks in a specific area – and car insurance in Johannesburg is definitely more expensive than the smaller cities and towns
There could however, on a lighter note, also be enough other reasons why drivers in Johannesburg should expect to pay more for insurance. A regular visitor to the Arrive Alive website shared the “Rules for driving in Johannesburg” – examples of unsafe behaviour on our roads!!
Rules for driving in Johannesburg
1. Never indicate – this will give away your next move. A real Johannesburg driver never uses them.
2. Under no circumstance should you leave a safe distance between you and the car in front of you, this space will be filled by at least 2 taxis and a BMW, putting you in an even more dangerous situation.
3. The faster you drive through a red light, the smaller the chance you have of getting hit.
4. Never, ever come to a complete stop at a stop sign. No one expects it and it will only result in you being rear-ended.
5. Braking is to be done as hard and late as possible to ensure that your ABS kicks in, giving you a nice, relaxing foot massage as the brake pedal pulsates. For those of you without ABS, it’s a chance to stretch your legs.
6. Never pass on the right when you can pass on the left. It’s a good way to check if the people entering the highway are awake.
7. Speed limits are arbitrary figures, given only as a guideline. They are especially not applicable in Johannesburg during rush hour. That’s why it’s called ‘rush hour….’
8. Just because you’re in the right lane and have no room to speed up or move over doesn’t mean that a Johannesburg driver flashing his high beams behind you doesn’t think he can go faster in your spot.
9. Always slow down and rubberneck when you see an accident or even someone changing a tyre. Never stop to help – you will be mugged.
10. Learn to swerve abruptly. Johannesburg is the home of the high-speed slalom driving thanks to the town council , which puts holes in key locations to test drivers’ reflexes and keeps them on their toes.
11. It is traditional in Johannesburg to honk your horn at cars that don’t move the instant the light turns green. This prevents storks from building nests on top of the traffic light and birds from making deposits on your car.
12. Remember that the goal of every Johannesburg driver is to get there first, by whatever means necessary.
13. On average, at least three cars can still go through an intersection after the light has turned red. It’s people not adhering to this basic principle that causes the big traffic jams during rush hour.
