Pothole insurance:

One of the most common claims in South Africa is caused by the dreaded pothole! Often the underlying cause for damage to tyres, rims, vehicle or even write offs. The road conditions in certain areas can be very bad and road users should be vigilant to avoid potholes or adopt driving conditions to suit the road surface.
Obviously if you are insured comprehensive then your vehicle would be covered in the event of a clam due to a pothole. There are a few niche
There are a few product options you may want to consider.


These options may be confusing...
In fact the smartest thing you can do is - Get a specialist broker to do it for you!

Also note the following guidelines and considerations:

  • If the road is wet – be especially vigilant as it is very difficult to spot a pothole filled with water. At night this even gets worse.
  • Always check your tyre pressure.
  • When driving on a road where there is clearly a lot of potholes around - consider that oncoming traffic may swerve suddenly when a pothole is detected. The same when overtaking on a narrow road. Whilst overtaking on a narrow road, hitting a pothole may be unavoidable due to road width.
  • Following the lead of other cars. Vehicles in front swerving may indicate an oncoming pothole.
  • Avoid driving on gravel roads – especially at night.
  • Switch your headlights on in bad weather and slow down.
  • Report all potholes to the relevant authorities.
  • After you have gone through a pothole :
    • Pull over in a safe spot and do an inspection of your vehicle, tyre and rims.
    • If you note any damage what so ever take a photograph of the pothole and background. (This may be relevant when you want to submit a claim)
    • If your steering “pulls” – this may indicate your alignment got affected. Visit tyre centre to correct your alignment soonest.
    • If your car appears to be handling funny, it may indicate suspension damage of some sorts.
    • If your vehicle as aluminium rims it may be cracked or dented. These rims are particularly vulnerable to potholes.
    • If suddenly your cars sounds noisy, then you may have damaged your exhaust system. Have this checked as it will also affect your fuel consumption.
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