South Africa’s roads are very hazardous. No road markings, pedestrians, potholes, broken down vehicles … yip, Africa isn’t for sissies!
And, that’s just the roads. There is plenty which can go wrong when your vehicle is off the road too, like theft, attempted theft and hijacking.
The national SAPS stats from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 recorded 138 172 thefts out of motor vehicles and 53 809 motor vehicle thefts in South Africa.
Just as car manufacturers have jacked up their efforts to make cars less easy to steal, so have criminals stepped up their game. Honestly, some of the means they use to steal cars or break into them these days will leave your mouth hanging open with astonishment.
Consider the fact that you’re not driving your car 24 hours a day. Oftentimes it’s parked, at a mall or office park or in your yard at home, and this is precisely when your car is vulnerable to theft.
If you’ve ever had that sinking feeling when approaching the spot you’d parked in and your car isn’t there, you’ll know what it feels like to realise your car has been stolen.
This isn’t the time to start wondering whether you have comprehensive insurance and whether it covers theft. The one answer you don’t want to hear from your insurance company when you’re standing in the parking space which your car had occupied just minutes before is that you don’t have comprehensive insurance and are, therefore, not covered for theft.
If yours is a quality offering from a reputable insurance broker, comprehensive insurance will cover the theft or attempted theft of your vehicle.
While some methods thieves use don’t damage your car in any way, like the remote jamming trick, others can cause serious damage, leaving you with a car which now has to be repaired. Worse still, your car can be stolen and never recovered.
Not having comprehensive insurance, which covers theft and attempted theft, can have serious consequences, financially and otherwise, especially if your car is your only means of earning a living and getting your family from A to B.
While it is not compulsory to have car insurance in South Africa, if your car is financed it is required to be comprehensively covered by insurance.
It is important to bear in mind that if you don’t have comprehensive insurance on your financed car and it is stolen, you will still be required to pay the financier what is owed on that vehicle. Imagine not being able to replace your car and still having to pay it off!
With comprehensive insurance, the insurance company is likely to at least pay off the outstanding debt, allowing you to apply for a new car loan without debt behind your name.
So, why add to your everyday stress by not having comprehensive car insurance which covers you for theft or attempted theft?
Contact Hollard today for peace of mind that car thieves can’t get the better of your insurance cover.
