You are breaking the law and taking a massive financial risk if your truck driver is not validly licensed!

Earlier this week we found a massive wake-up call to fleet operators at the announcement by the RTMC of the large numbers of truck drivers and public transport drivers who are not validly licensed.

In the story titled “Close to half a million freight and public drivers do not qualify to be on South African roads says RTMC” we found some rather alarming statistics on the numbers of illegal drivers on our roads!

Wheels24 also commented on this in a story titled “500 000 ‘pro drivers’; loose without docs”

The Arrive Alive website was asked for comment on we replied with the following:

“What we know would be true is that there is a breach of contract in such an instance between the insurer and the insured client. The insurance contract would be based on the agreement that a roadworthy vehicle will be transported at all times by a legally licensed driver . If these conditions are not complied with the insurer will in my mind have a right to repudiate such a claim should it arise..”

We have since confirmed this with several insurers and would like to share a comment received from the truck insurance experts from Hollard:

“The insurance policy clearly excludes cover for a client where a client is not validly licensed and this would extend as far as the PRDP for trucks and taxi drivers. The Insurer does not even have to prove this was the cause of the claim as the Ombudsman will not assist anyone breaking the law.

On the issue of a roadworthy vehicle most policies actually state the lack of road worthiness must have been material to the claim. For example if a driver’;s tyres are smooth and the vehicles skids after breaking, the claim will not be paid.”

It is also worth noting what Justice Project South Africa has to say on this matter. Howard Dembovsky emphasizes the need for greater enforcement on this matter:

“I completely concur with your assertions on this. Not only may an insurance company repudiate any claim, but I can say with almost absolute certainty that they would. Insurance companies are in the business of minimising their risks and pay-outs and the lack of a PrDP when operating a vehicle of the class that requires one essentially means that the driver is unlicensed to operate the vehicle. What absolutely gobsmacks me though is the fact that the RTMC has made these assertions yet we rarely hear of any law enforcement exercises where HGV drivers are taken to task over this issue.”

Every driver who drives without the required driver license is breaking the law. If negligence has to be established in the event of a road crash, driving without a valid license would be a first step to confirm that the conduct of the driver deviated from that of a reasonable driver. [ The Pinetown truck crash is an example where the license was found to be fraudulent]

It is important to emphasize that your insurance will only cover damages of the driver and vehicle is legally licensed – you will not be able to challenge the insurer who repudiates such an insurance claim  - a risk no transport operator can afford to take!

You are breaking the law and taking a massive financial risk if your truck driver is not validly licensed!

Study: Teen Driver Crash Risk Rises in Smaller sized Vehicles

What you need to have to know:

• New research shows teens’ crash danger increases when they drive smaller sized cars.


• Teenagers are more probably to have the least secure types of automobiles.


• Giving teens utilised cars that lack advanced safety characteristics comprises their safety.


• The IIHS recommends purchasing teens cars with Electronic Stability Manage and offers specific recommendations.

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Crash claim prices for some teen drivers are more than double than the prices for older drivers, according to a new analysis from the Insurance Institute for Highway Security.

But there’s something else that compounds dangers for teen drivers: They’re also a lot more most likely to drive “the least secure sorts of autos,” stated the IIHS.

Teen Drivers Are Risky … and They Drive Risky Vehicles

According to IIHS study on drivers, 15- to 17-year-old drivers had the lowest collision claims prices when driving “very big SUVs.”

Meanwhile, the highest claims prices came from teens driving modest 2-door cars. That price that was virtually 3 occasions larger than the rate for quite massive SUVs.

The sorts of vehicles teenagers drive affects not only their claims rate but also their safety. The IIHS says newer, costly automobiles are safer for teens, but they frequently don’t get them.

According to the IIHS, surveys show that the average cost tag of cars for teens are much much less than what parents require to devote to get essential security characteristics.

“Unfortunately, it’s very tough to get a protected vehicle for a teenager at the rates most men and women are paying,” Anne McCartt, IIHS senior vice president for research, said in a statement, adding that parents should “remember the dangers teens take and take into account paying a little much more.”

The identical surveys discovered that much more than 4 out of each 5 parents stated they purchased a utilized car for their teenager.

IIHS Outlines Best Practices for Used-Car Purchasing

Along with its research, the Institute released recommendations for parents who are purchasing a vehicle for their teenage driver. The suggestions are “guided by 4 main principles”:

• Make sure it has electronic stability control (ESC)
  IIHS referred to as the technology “a must” for teenagers because it helps drivers retain handle of their vehicles when they veer on “curves and slippery roads.” According to federal estimates in 2012, ESC technologies saved thousands of lives in a 2-year period.


• Spend focus to security ratings
  A teen’s automobile should at least have leading ratings in frontal crash tests and acceptable ratings in side crash tests, along with high marks in federal crash tests.


• Think about larger, heavier automobiles
  Such cars are safer and “protect far better in a crash,” according to the Institute.


• Do not take into account high-efficiency cars with a lot of horsepower
  A fast engine can simply mean a fast teen driver. And that implies trouble.

According to the Institute, parents at times break far more than a single of those 4 recommendations, placing their teens at even greater danger.

Take for example, the “double-whammy” of little automobiles and minicars. “Not only are teens much more likely to crash them,” the Institute said. “[T]hey also don’t offer you a lot protection when a crash occurs due to the fact of their minimal weight and tiny crush zone.”

The IIHS also listed dozens of used automobiles, model years 2005 or later, that it recommends for teenage drivers at cost tags of below $ 20,000 and $ 10,000.

The Institute highlighted the 2005 Volvo XC90 as a “safety bargain.” Valued at about $ 7,000, the Volvo model is each the cheapest vehicle on the list and 1 of the handful of to get a best rating in the Institute’s latest frontal crash test.

Auto Insurance coverage Ideas to Fight the Higher Price of a Teen Driver

Teens—or rather, their parents—pay a higher cost for auto insurance. Teenage auto insurance is “always greater than for other drivers simply because as a group they pose a higher risk of accidents than much more experience drivers,” according to the Insurance coverage Data Institute (III).

Right here are some ideas from main automobile insurers that parents can use to mitigate the harm their teen will do to their auto insurance bills, such as widely obtainable discounts for excellent students and smartphone apps:

• Progressive: “It’s normally less expensive to add your fresh-out-of-driver’s-ed teen to the loved ones plan versus acquiring him separate auto insurance coverage for teens.”


• GEICO: “Good grades could add up to sizable savings.”


• Esurance: The DriveSafe smartphone app is one of several from main insurers that sport the exact characteristics parents want to preserve their teen protected behind the wheel: text-disablers, and speed, braking and location trackers.

Study: Teen Driver Crash Risk Rises in Smaller sized Vehicles

Study: Teen Driver Crash Risk Rises in Smaller Vehicles

What you require to know:

• New analysis shows teens’ crash danger increases when they drive smaller sized automobiles.


• Teenagers are a lot more likely to have the least secure varieties of vehicles.


• Giving teens employed cars that lack sophisticated safety attributes comprises their security.


• The IIHS recommends buying teens automobiles with Electronic Stability Handle and offers specific recommendations.

---

Crash claim prices for some teen drivers are more than double than the prices for older drivers, according to a new analysis from the Insurance coverage Institute for Highway Safety.

But there’s something else that compounds dangers for teen drivers: They’re also much more likely to drive “the least secure kinds of automobiles,” stated the IIHS.

Teen Drivers Are Risky … and They Drive Risky Vehicles

According to IIHS analysis on drivers, 15- to 17-year-old drivers had the lowest collision claims rates when driving “very large SUVs.”

Meanwhile, the highest claims prices came from teens driving tiny 2-door autos. That price that was practically 3 occasions greater than the rate for really huge SUVs.

The kinds of automobiles teenagers drive impacts not only their claims price but also their security. The IIHS says newer, pricey vehicles are safer for teens, but they typically don’t get them.

According to the IIHS, surveys show that the average value tag of cars for teens are much less than what parents need to devote to get crucial safety features.

“Unfortunately, it’s extremely challenging to get a protected automobile for a teenager at the costs most men and women are paying,” Anne McCartt, IIHS senior vice president for research, stated in a statement, adding that parents need to “remember the dangers teens take and contemplate paying a small a lot more.”

The very same surveys discovered that more than 4 out of each 5 parents said they bought a employed car for their teenager.

IIHS Outlines Ideal Practices for Utilised-Car Acquiring

Along with its study, the Institute released recommendations for parents who are getting a automobile for their teenage driver. The recommendations are “guided by 4 major principles”:

• Make positive it has electronic stability handle (ESC)
  IIHS named the technology “a must” for teenagers simply because it assists drivers retain control of their vehicles when they veer on “curves and slippery roads.” According to federal estimates in 2012, ESC technologies saved thousands of lives in a 2-year period.


• Spend attention to safety ratings
  A teen’s automobile ought to at least have leading ratings in frontal crash tests and acceptable ratings in side crash tests, along with high marks in federal crash tests.


• Consider bigger, heavier automobiles
  Such automobiles are safer and “protect better in a crash,” according to the Institute.


• Don’t contemplate higher-overall performance automobiles with a lot of horsepower
  A rapidly engine can very easily mean a rapidly teen driver. And that signifies difficulty.

According to the Institute, parents at times break more than a single of those 4 suggestions, putting their teens at even greater threat.

Take for instance, the “double-whammy” of little cars and minicars. “Not only are teens far more most likely to crash them,” the Institute stated. “[T]hey also don’t offer you a lot protection when a crash happens since of their minimal weight and modest crush zone.”

The IIHS also listed dozens of used automobiles, model years 2005 or later, that it recommends for teenage drivers at value tags of under $ 20,000 and $ 10,000.

The Institute highlighted the 2005 Volvo XC90 as a “safety bargain.” Valued at about $ 7,000, the Volvo model is both the least expensive automobile on the list and a single of the few to get a best rating in the Institute’s latest frontal crash test.

Auto Insurance coverage Suggestions to Fight the High Price of a Teen Driver

Teens—or rather, their parents—pay a higher price for auto insurance. Teenage auto insurance is “always greater than for other drivers due to the fact as a group they pose a greater danger of accidents than more knowledge drivers,” according to the Insurance coverage Info Institute (III).

Here are some tips from key auto insurers that parents can use to mitigate the damage their teen will do to their auto insurance coverage bills, which includes extensively available discounts for excellent students and smartphone apps:

• Progressive: “It’s normally more affordable to add your fresh-out-of-driver’s-ed teen to the family members strategy versus acquiring him separate auto insurance coverage for teens.”


• GEICO: “Good grades could add up to sizable savings.”


• Esurance: The DriveSafe smartphone app is a single of numerous from significant insurers that sport the exact characteristics parents want to keep their teen safe behind the wheel: text-disablers, and speed, braking and location trackers.

Study: Teen Driver Crash Risk Rises in Smaller Vehicles