**South Africa phenomenon: People are throwing themselves in front of cars for fraudulent compensation**
A worrying phenomenon is currently rocking South Africa, where people are deliberately throwing themselves in front of slow-moving cars in order to obtain compensation for fictitious injuries. This unthinkable ploy has recently caught the attention of the National Road Accident Fund, which has strongly warned against such practices.
In an official statement, the fund highlighted that this emerging trend of intentionally causing accidents near intersections and stop signs is a serious and growing problem. While the phenomenon can be partly explained by situations of precariousness and desperation, especially in times of high costs, the fund has made it clear that it will not hesitate to crack down on fraudulent compensation claims.
The National Road Accident Fund allows victims of road accidents to claim compensation from a national fund. However, it warned that it would rigorously investigate false claims after identifying the new trend. According to it, some individuals wait for vehicles to slow down enough to avoid killing them before throwing themselves in front of them, feigning serious injuries.
“The fund will not compensate an individual who intentionally causes a road accident, even if this results in serious injuries,” the fund insisted.
While the exact figure for cases of people intentionally throwing themselves in front of cars is not yet disclosed, the fund revealed that it rejected nearly 50,000 fraudulent claims between February 2022 and February this year.
The grim warning comes ahead of the holiday season in South Africa, a notoriously dangerous time on the roads. The National Road Accident Fund said an average of more than 1,500 people are killed in road accidents in South Africa during the festive period, which runs from early December to January 11. About 40% of these deaths are pedestrians.
“Road users should also bear in mind that the fund does not compensate for the loss as such, but only covers the actual costs of cremating or burying the deceased,” the fund said in its grim holiday reminder message.
The National Road Accident Fund said it paid out $2.5 billion in compensation in the 2023-2024 financial year. Combating fraudulent claims and raising awareness about the dangers of such practices are now at the heart of the South African authorities’ concerns to preserve the integrity of the road accident compensation system.
Ultimately, this alarming phenomenon underlines the need for increased vigilance and effective deterrent measures to counter attacks on the legitimacy and integrity of victim compensation systems, while protecting road safety and the rights of road users in South Africa.