The implementation of the RABS aims to both reduce costs and standardize payouts. This may sound all fair and well on paper, but it could spell disaster for South African motorists. Here is why;
Under RABS, accidents will be treated on a no-fault basis. A no-fault scheme means that any drivers who can prove they have been in a motor vehicle accident will be able to submit a claim to RABS.
What this means, essentially, is that all road accident victims will be able to receive a benefit even if the accident was your fault.
As it stands under the RAF fault-based system, if you were to cause an accident then you’re not permitted to claim. Victims who do qualify then receive substantially higher payments.
This may seem unfair to those who genuinely make small errors on the road. Maybe the clutch slipped and you ended up bumping the car in front of you. In that light, the RABS may be helpful and seem reasonable.
However, this brings us to the biggest, most disturbing problem of them all.
A person driving under the influence will have the same rights as you. They will also be able to claim for damages after they cause a huge accident and leave you paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of your life.
News24 reported that a Durban Regional Court magistrate has given a drunk driver a sentence of 20 years in prison for causing an accident in which three people died.
Under the RABS, people who show a complete disregard for the rules of the road might be able to claim and receive compensation...
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