It\u2019s a scenario South African drivers know all too well: You\u2019re driving home through the suburbs one day after some particularly heavy rain and you notice a new, yawning pothole too late to avoid it or slow down. You flinch as you hit the pothole, grit your teeth and hope that your car hasn\u2019t been hurt by the impact.<\/p>\n
Sumarie Greybe, co-founder of digital insurance platform Naked, walks you through your next steps if you suspect that the pothole has done some serious damage to your vehicle.<\/p>\n
STEP 1 \u2014 Evaluate the potential damage<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes, it will be obvious that your car has suffered internal harm. The steering wheel might shake, you may struggle to control your car, or you might hear some funny noises. In this instance, you\u2019ll want to slow down and pull over in the first safe place, so that you can call emergency assistance.<\/p>\n Even if the car feels okay, you\u2019ll want to stop as soon as it\u2019s safe to check for visible damage, such as a tear in your tyre or buckled rims.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s visible damage and the car is clearly not safe to drive, call your insurer\u2019s emergency helpline. You should also call your insurer if you suspect that the car has sustained internal damage of a nature that you\u2019d further damage the axel or suspension by continuing to drive.<\/p>\n Bear in mind your insurer will not pay for subsequent damage if you drive on in a vehicle that has sustained serious damage going through a pothole.<\/p>\n If the car seems okay or only has some surface-level scratches and dents, you can safely proceed. If necessary, you can contact your insurer to claim when you get home. It might still be worth going to the nearest tyre centre for a check-up before doing too much more driving. Rebalancing your wheels might be required.<\/p>\n STEP 2 \u2014 Call for help<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve detected internal or external damage to the vehicle, it\u2019s best not to drive for your safety. If you\u2019re insured, you can arrange for your insurer to dispatch a tow truck. Ask for a flatbed to put the vehicle on to avoid further damage to your car.<\/p>\n Ask for your car to be taken to the nearest repair shop that is accredited with your insurer. Most insurers offer free towing for 30-50km per trip.<\/p>\n If the tow truck driver goes over that limit, you will pay for additional towing costs. If you\u2019re not insured, you can turn to the AA for help. If you\u2019re not a member, you will need to pay for the tow.<\/p>\n STEP 3 \u2014 Document the damage<\/strong><\/p>\n To make it easier to claim from insurance or the municipality, take photos of the pothole and damage to your car.<\/p>\n Take note of the exact location of the pothole with a location pin on your phone. If there are any witnesses, ask them for their contact information and their account of the incident.<\/p>\n STEP 4 \u2014 Report the accident to the police<\/strong><\/p>\n As with any motor accident, you\u2019ll need a case number from the police to claim from your insurer. You can file an accident report at the nearest police station or online (as long as no one was hurt) via the Natis website.<\/p>\n STEP 5 \u2014 Claim<\/strong><\/p>\n The next step is to claim from your insurer. Your insurer will need the following info:<\/p>\n If your claim is approved, your insurer will use the police case number to approach the municipality and attempt to reclaim your excess and the costs of the damages.<\/p>\n You can also claim directly from the municipality or from Sanral if the pothole was on a national road.<\/p>\n It makes sense to do this if the repair is likely to cost less than your excess \u2014 you don\u2019t want to have the claim on your claims history for the sake of a couple of hundred bucks.<\/p>\n You can also claim from your municipality if you don\u2019t have insurance. The process varies between different municipal authorities, but they will usually ask for the following:<\/p>\n Avoiding potholes<\/strong><\/p>\n Here are some tips for avoiding potholes and minimising damage when you can\u2019t:<\/p>\n
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