People jumping in front of cars in South Africa – how to avoid the scam

The Road Accident Fund (RAF) has warned about a growing scam in South Africa where pedestrians jump in front of moving vehicles in a bid to make fraudulent claims from the fund.

The group made it clear that it would not pay out for any incident where the accident was caused on purpose – but this would only be after a lengthy investigation, and the threat may not deter perpetrators from making the attempt.

According to CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, even if the scam fails for the pedestrian, drivers are still put at serious risk, physically and emotionally, by the attempt.

“While the RAF is dissuading pedestrians from using the organisation as an income source, little is said to motorists about the consequences for them,” he said.

“Mention is made of using dashcam footage to prove an incident was purposefully orchestrated. This, however, is not the ideal solution and motorists should aim to avoid this eventuality all together.”

Even with a dashcam, the financial and emotional impact of colliding with a pedestrian cannot as easily be undone, Herbert said.

He advised that using “defensive driving” it the best way a driver can avoid this from impacting them

Defensive driving techniques include:

• Awareness: always be aware of all cars, obstacles and people surrounding you. Drivers should never be surprised by a pedestrian suddenly stepping into the road, purposefully or otherwise.

• Anticipate: normally, actions of other drivers or people are clear well before they make a move. Anticipate the actions of fellow road users and adjust your driving immediately. Pedestrians with nefarious motives may hide on the roadside making it necessary to pay extra attention to the shoulder and always be ready to take evasive action.

• Do not speed: while these individuals are alleged to wait for vehicles to slow down, speeding reduces the time to respond should something unexpected happen. Additionally, if someone has never driven a vehicle before, it is easy to misjudge the speed of oncoming cars.

• Avoid distractions: always stay off your phone, no matter the circumstances. When there may be pedestrians with bad intentions, do not do anything that takes your eyes from the road and rather get passengers to assist.

• Safe following distance: adequate following distances provide both time to spot pedestrians on the roadside and react should they step into the road.

Herbert also pointed to additional safety tips which could help mitigate the risk of falling victim to the scam, including:

• Unless necessary, avoid driving at night.
• Purchase a dashcam – these can be relatively inexpensive and be worth the expense should something happen, and you face legal consequences.
• Never drink and drive – even one drink leaves you in a precarious position in this scenario.
• Ensure your vehicle maintenance is up to date. You need your lights, tyres and brakes to work properly in all circumstances but especially in an emergency.
• Know how ABS works and what you should do should you have to undertake emergency braking.

Read: Warning over deadly and disturbing new accident scam in South Africa