'Festive road deaths proof Parly must pull the plug on no-fault accident scheme'

17 January 2019 4:58 PM

Attorney Kirstie Haslam says the latest festive season road death figures are evidence that Parliament should put the breaks on the Road Accident Benefit Scheme Bill (Rabs).

1 612 people were killed over the festive season, up from 1 527 in the same period the year before.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that South Africa has more drunk driving- related deaths than anywhere else in the world.

Read: Proposal to use bail system to punish drunk drivers is 'laughable' - law prof

More than half of road traffic deaths in the country are related to alcohol, WHO has found.

Haslam says the proposed 'no-fault’ Rabs system rewards drunk drivers at the expense of genuine crash victims.

All of these drunk drivers will be entitled to the same benefits as the innocent victim.
— Kirstie Haslam, Partner at DSC Attorneys

The benefits which one will be entitled to will be greatly diminished in the interest of being able to finance this new system.
— Kirstie Haslam, Partner at DSC Attorneys

Haslam has been actively involved in the ongoing parliamentary debate surrounding the proposed Rabs bill, which could replace the Road Accident Fund (RAF).

Also read: Road Accident Fund almost R27 billion in debt