Get appropriate vehicle insurance cover for floods and storms this summer

The weather has been changing as we ease into the summer months in South Africa. Rainstorms and other summer weather phenomena have been prevalent.

This has led to damage to people’s property due to the weather or secondary factors such as floods, increasing the number of insurance claims. For this reason, we encourage a review and update on current insurance policies.

South African drivers enjoy driving in sunny weather most of the year. However, this doesn’t mean they’ll always drive in good weather conditions. Sometimes, they will encounter bad weather, which requires them to adjust their driving. Various types of lousy weather affect a diver’s ability to drive, including some of the following:

- Hail
- Rain
- Flooding
- Fog and mist
- Strong winds
- Smoke from veld fires

Cars have been affected by this recent change more aggressively. Some insurance policies cover damage due to these factors with specific rules for each case. Regarding floods, if the water reaches only the bumper level, the damage may be minimal and, therefore, can be fixed by a qualified mechanic without having to claim from your car insurance. But things take a different turn when the vehicle is covered by water up to the dashboard or roof. In such cases, the insured must let your insurer know about the damage as soon as possible. If the cost of repairing the vehicle to its original roadworthy state is higher than the vehicle’s insured value, the insurer may write it off. By so doing, they will pay out the vehicle's insured value in cash minus the excess.

As a vehicle owner, you are responsible for caring for your vehicle and keeping it out of harm’s way. There are instances where car insurance may not cover you for water damage, such as
blatant negligence. If the insured leaves their vehicle with the windows or sunroof open during a storm and the vehicle is damaged by water. Another instance is deliberate damage, where the insured deliberately drives into a flooded area.

The best way to avoid flood damage to a car is to avoid driving in floods and not taking the car journey in the first place. However, if it’s unavoidable, there are precautions that a driver can take. They must avoid driving into moving water; it only takes 0.6 metres of moving water to sweep a car off the road. If the car is swept off the road, the driver must exit the vehicle as quickly as possible. Another solution is to look for alternative roads. Drivers need to take note of public service notifications and use safer driving routes, as advised by the traffic authorities.

If any of the abovementioned were to happen to someone’s car, would their insurance cover the damage? Will car insurance cover hail damage? The answer is that it depends on that individual’s car insurance coverage and the insured events that are included in their policy. Third-party only and third-party fire and theft insurance do not cover extreme weather damage. For comprehensive protection against severe weather risks, a driver will need comprehensive car Insurance. This cover includes the full range of damage possibilities to the vehicle; however, it will not include damage to personal possessions in the car. If all these conditions have been met and the insured is denied a payout by their insurer, they can contact us, the Ombudsman for Short-Term Insurance. We will investigate and mediate the dispute and come up with a fair outcome based on the evidence provided.