Insurance Companies Against Drunk Driving

June 24 - South African insurance companies watched warily as the National Prosecuting Authority this week suspended all cases where the Drager breathalyser test was used to test the blood alcohol concentration levels in drunk drivers.

IntegriSure, an insurance group, said that the industry will not relax its restrictions on drunk driving and would continue to repudiate claims where alcohol was involved.

"The South African insurance industry does recognise the result of breathalyser tests," said the Chief Executive Officer of IntegriSure, Helen Szemerei. "A written statement from a traffic officer at the scene indicating that the driver appeared intoxicated may also be acceptable for some insurers to reject a claim."

South African insurance groups have declared an all out war on road accidents in a country where "drunk driving has become a socially acceptable practice."

Many companies go to exceptional lengths to prove that alcohol was the cause of an accident, even checking out CCTV footage in bars and restaurants to prove that the claimant had been drinking alcohol prior to getting behind the wheel and having an accident.

50% of Accident Victims Drank and Drove

Recent statistics by the Arrive Alive group showed that more than 50% of those who died on South Africa's roads in car accidents had a blood alcohol concentration that went above the legal limit.

The Arrive Alive campaign's main focus is to bring down the number of victims on the roads each year.

However, cases like the recent high profile one where the authorities ruled that the Drager breathalyser was not a reliable tool to test alcohol levels, could negatively affect the campaign, as some drivers may understand that even if they are caught, the results of the breathalyser won't hold up in court.

For this reason, it was important for the insurance industry to come out with the point that they would not honour claims even if alcohol abuse was only suspected.