by Just how much does a car accident cost the SA economy?
While the natural aspect is to look at the devastation it brings, the actual impact a car accident has on the South African society is an avenue that is somewhat unfrequented.
Taking a Look At The RTMC Report
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) released a report which highlighted the impact car accidents have, in terms of human lives, pain, grief and suffering, and the resulting cost to the economy.
Data for 2016 is not yet available, but it was found that the total cost of road accidents, for 2015, on the South African road network amounted to an estimated R142.95 billion (3.4% of GDP).
This is a result of 12 944 fatalities in 10 613 fatal car accidents.
The Road Accident Fund (RAF) is a public entity which compensates people injured in road accidents in South Africa. According to their annual report, the average value of a claim increased by 24% from R114 969 to R143 127. The average claimant legal and other costs paid, per claim, increased by 33% from R90 563 to R120 385.
The average RAF legal and other costs paid per claim increased by 32% from R21 564 to R28 476.
Other Stats From The RAF During The 2015/2016 Period:
- A staggering R424 million worth of fraudulent car accident claims were identified before payment was made. 391 people were arrested with 231 convicted for fraud against the RAF.
- A total of 188 864 new claims were received, with 188 759 finalised. This is up from 173 174 claims registered and 183 933 finalised in the 2014/2015 period.
- During the 2015/2016 period, the RAF finalised an average of 715 claims per working day. This up from 697 for the previous year.
- Total revenue increased by 48% to R33,2 billion from R22,7 billion. This was due to a 50% litre increase in the RAF Fuel Levy, and minimal increase in the volume of fuel sold over the previous year.
- The claims expenditure, which excluded the provision for claims incurred, reached R32.3 billion and accounted for 94% of total expenses. The balance was made up of employee costs, i.e. R1.28 billion (4%) and administration and other costs, i.e. R618 million (2%).
