Car insurance, as we are all aware, is essential when driving on the roads in South Africa. Here are a couple of fun, tongue-in-cheek reasons why it is essential to have cover:
* South Africans brake as hard and as late as is humanly possible to test their ABS braking systems – the more you massage this pedal the better for both foot and car and other road users. The best part of all is when it starts to pulsate.
* If you do decide to indicate this is a dead give-away for the other motorists on the road – never indicate when driving in Durban, Johannesburg or Pretoria. If you do decide to use your indicators you will be regarded as an alien visitor.
* A safe distance is never that – it is usually filled with a bus, a couple of “bakkies” a BMW plus numerous taxis.
* Speed is essential when a light changes colour – this is one way of avoiding being hit by a taxi or two.
* If you are able to overtake on a solid white line this is a good sign that you are bold – but it is even better on the left – this way you will soon find out if other road users are focusing on what they are doing.
* Hoot as much as you can – the taxis do this so why can’t you?
* And do stop and gawp at any accident that might occur – these are best when there is a lot of blood, ten fire engines, and someone has been squashed under a truck. This is best done so that you can slow down the traffic and cause a disturbance and a traffic jam!
And you know that you live in SA when you produce a R100 note when you are stopped by a traffic officer instead of producing your driver’s license and you know a taxi can move twice the certified amount of passengers in one trip.
You also know that you wait at a green light to ensure that there are no taxis travelling in the opposite direction, and you are always most pleasantly surprised to find your car parked where you left it.
But on a more serious note – we do need car insurance in SA – unlike in the UK, it is surprising that this is not yet law.
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