4 reasons why you shouldn’t drive without car insurance

4 reasons why you shouldn’t drive without car insurance

Currently, a whopping 65% to 70% of the cars on our roads are uninsured, according to the Automobile Association of South Africa. This means that only around 35% of drivers are relying on their insurance providers to cover the costs of an accident or theft. To put this in real terms (because percentages don’t feel real), just 3.99 million (round about) out of SA’s 11.4 million registered cars are insured.

That’s just bananas.

Apart from anything else, this shoots up the costs for everyone and makes your car insurance premiums more expensive. And that’s just 1 excellent reason why it’s important to get car insurance.

We’ve unpacked the 4 main reasons why you shouldn’t drive without car insurance and how you could be affected.

1. You’re liable for the other driver’s costs if you get into an accident
   If you’re uninsured and crash into another person’s car and cause damage then you’re the 1 who’ll be made to pay for the repairs or replacements. You might think that if the driver you crashed into is insured, then their insurance will pay for everything. But, that’s not true. Their insurer will name you as the guilty party for the total bill and sue you in your personal capacity to recoup their losses. Quite literally, these costs can run into the 1,000s… It’s hardly ever just a few 100.
2. You’re liable for your own costs if you get into a car accident
   Let’s talk about the damage to your own car if you were to have an accident. Without car insurance, the repair fees are down to you and you alone. Again, you’re looking at super expensive costs which will come out of your own pocket.Keep in mind that if your car is financed, you’ll still have to make your finance payments, even though you can’t drive the car while it’s being fixed up. And if your car is written-off, you still have to pay your instalments until it’s paid off.
3. Your car has been stolen (and you still owe on it)
   Car theft and hi-jacking are an ever-present danger and it’s quite likely that you or someone in your family will be affected by these crimes at some point. Not to be a downer, but this is a reality that you might have to face.If you’re uninsured then you’re the 1 that’s responsible for replacing your car, which could be hugely financial devastating. You’ll also have the stress of not having your own transport until you do so.Remember that having comprehensive car insurance is a legal requirement if your car is financed. It’s just not worth the risk.
4. An uninsured driver crashes into you
   Think about what would happen if the person crashing into your car is also uninsured. Because they have no insurance, you can’t apply to their insurer to pay out the costs of the damage to your car that they have caused. You could pay the legal costs of trying to claim damages from the driver, but this would probably turn into a waste of money and energy.

Why people don’t get car insurance

There are lots of reasons… But the main 1 is that it’s too expensive. When times are tight and people look for ways to cut back, car insurance just seems like a non-essential expense. But the consequences of not being insured can be quite serious and can end up costing you so much more in the long-run.

Super cheap car insurance solutions with royal service to boot

There are quite a few different options to choose from. You don’t just have to give up and drive uninsured, putting yourself and others at great financial risk. Not when the king is here to help you out.

For instance, if you completely own your car and aren’t required to take out the ‘full Monty’ policy, then you can explore our cheaper policies. Our third party, fire and theft, and third party only, cover the basics, including (most importantly) the cost of damage to the other car or property that your car causes in an accident.

What these policies don’t cover, however, is damage to your own car. That’s what you’d need comprehensive car insurance for. And even then, this doesn’t have to cost you the earth. Our comprehensive cover comes at a super cheap price and will get less every month. It’s part of our decreasing premiums model, where we reduce your premium every month in line with the depreciating value of your car.

Speak to us about getting super cheap car insurance, and avoid risking everything by not getting the cover that you need. Click here to get a quote or call us on 0860 50 50 50 to chat about your options.