Budget Insurance is sounding the alarm on the growing risks South Africans face on the country’s roads during the busy Easter travel season. With families preparing to reunite, congregations gathering for religious celebrations, and road traffic volumes set to spike, the stakes for road safety are at an all-time high.
“Easter is a special time in South Africa — it's about connection, community, and celebration,” says Tando Ngibe, Senior Manager at Budget Insurance. “But year after year, it’s also one of the deadliest periods on our roads.”
Insights from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) paint a sobering picture: human factors — including reckless driving, fatigue, speeding, and distracted driving — were responsible for 94.6% of fatal crashes during Easter 2024 and 92.6% in 2023. “The numbers don’t lie — driver behaviour is the leading cause of these tragedies,” Ngibe stresses.
Budget’s claims data also reveals that accidents during the Easter period follow a predictable but worrying pattern. Most crashes occur between 9 pm and 10 pm, as fatigue and diminished visibility set in, with an unexpected spike at 11 am — a time when many travellers are mid-journey or rushing to reach their destinations. “These trends are unique to Easter and should be a wake-up call for all road users,” says Ngibe.
But the Easter travel story doesn’t end at the accident scene — many families find themselves stranded without a suitable vehicle due to inadequate insurance coverage.
Budget Insurance notes that when it comes to car hire cover, there are two major gaps:
- Customers who don’t have car hire cover on their policies but need a vehicle while theirs is under repair.
- A mismatch between the customer’s usual car and the type of replacement vehicle they’ve selected on their policy.
Ngibe advises drivers to review their insurance policies before hitting the road:
- Ensure you have the right insurance cover in place to protect you should the unexpected happen
- Make sure car hire cover is active — especially if you don’t have a spare car at home.
- Ensure the car hire option matches your lifestyle — if you drive an SUV, select a similar size as your backup.
- Plan your trips wisely to avoid peak accident hours and very importantly, factor in rest stops.
“Driving during the Easter holidays is more than a journey — it’s a responsibility,” says Ngibe. “Let’s not allow human error or poor planning to overshadow this season of togetherness. South Africa’s roads can be safer, but it starts with each of us making better choices behind the wheel and in our insurance cover. Let’s make road safety, and pre-planning for a safer trip, as much a part of our Easter tradition as the celebrations themselves.”
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