Drivers Fitness Clear Vision
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Important: the accident MUST be reported to the police by the driver/ owner of the vehicle. The same basics apply for claims against the RAF as applies to all other claims you would normally lodge: keep and collect and make copies of as much of the paperwork as possible (reports from the doctor treating you, hospital and clinical records, SAPS collision report, police reports (OAR) etc.) A complete affidavit must be lodged with the SAPS by the claimant no later than 14 days of the claimant being able to do so. Medical tariffs – how the RAF compensates MSPs (Medical Service Providers) The RAF compensates emergency medical treatments at a higher tariff than non-emergency treatments. All medical treatments that do not fall under and cannot be classified as emergency medical treatment are compensated at a lower tariff. The lower tariff is the Uniform Patient Fee Schedule for fees payable to public health establishments, prescribed under section 90(1)(b) of the National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003), as revised from time to time. Claims involving future medical expenses Future medical expense claims are reimbursed as part of an undertaking in terms of section 17(4)(a) of the RAF Act. An undertaking is a contract between the claimant and the RAF, in terms of which the claimant will be reimbursed for reasonable medical expenses which he/she will have to incur due to the injuries sustained in the motor vehicle accident. The undertaking will cover reasonable future costs for the claimant’s injuries, which means that experimental or unproven types of treatment are not covered. The undertaking can specify types of treatment only, or cover all treatment and equipment needed as a result of the accident. A claimant may, for example, qualify for a prosthesis or a wheelchair if he/she has difficulty moving around, or for special modifications to a motor vehicle to adapt it to be driven by the claimant. Pre-existing illnesses, diseases or injuries are not covered. The undertaking also does not cover a claimant for the normal effects of ageing or the effects that other conditions may have on the injuries. Medical Aid, Accident and Hospital Admission It’s not something we like to think about but motor vehicle accidents happen, people suffer injuries, and the injured either receive treatment at the scene of the accident, or - in critical cases - are taken to a hospital ER. Those fortunate to be on private medical aid are usually taken by private emergency medical services (EMS) which have access to their own network of ambulances, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. However, all health care providers at the scene of an accident are obliged to treat the injured with immediate effect according to the Patient Rights Charter, the Constitution and the National Health Bill. Thus, also those without the means to pay for private emergency and evacuation receive these services from private emergency services in practice. By law, no one may be denied emergency medical treatment. What if I’m unconscious and need to be admitted to hospital? Firstly the medical personnel at the scene assess your medical situation and you are stabilised as best possible. Paramedics will then also try to determine whether you have medical aid and look for identification and medical aid stickers on your vehicle or for a medical aid card on your person. The ambulance will take you to the nearest, most suitable hospital– obviously if you are with a medical scheme chances are better that you end up at private hospital with which your medical scheme has an agreement. People reliant on state healthcare are also often taken to the casualty ward of private hospitals to be stabilised, but those without medical aid are transferred to state hospitals for further treatment, once their condition is stable enough for them to be moved. If you are unconscious but identified as being on a medical aid, your treatment will be funded. However, you or your family will still need to apply for a PAR (Pre-authorisation) number usually within two working days being admitted to the hospital when you remain in hospital for further treatment. Pre-authorisation is the prior approval for payment for scheduled surgeries and procedure where hospitalisation is required, so whenever there is hospitalisation involved (ER, triage, scans and casualty ward) confirm with your medical scheme. Have a plan in place so that your spouse or next of kin can take care of all the paperwork; make sure that they have access to the necessary details should you end up in an ICU. Should your doctor or the hospital obtain pre-authorisation, they will receive the scheme's official agreement. Make sure that you get a copy and that you understand the terms and conditions. Note: If you do not apply for authorisation to be in the hospital, no benefits will be payable, or, if you apply late for authorisation you might be liable to pay a penalty fee. In the event of an emergency admission the responsibility still remains with the patient or medical scheme member to get authorisation. Without pre-authorisation, the patient will be admitted and regarded as a private patient. If a request for an increase in length of stay or level of care is denied by the medical scheme, the patient will also revert to a private account. What if I admit myself to a casualty ward? In the case where the injuries do not necessitate transfer by ambulance to hospital and you admit yourself to a private hospital’s casualty ward, medical aid benefits may not always be applicable. Again, check for pre-authorisation and get a PAR number en-route to the hospital or let the hospital staff assist you in obtaining authorisation. Treatment may not be funded from your hospital benefit under certain circumstances. Casualty wards may fall under out-of-hospital benefits, which certain medical aid options (plans) may exclude. You will also need to sign an admission contract at the hospital which makes you or the guarantor liable for any amounts owed to the hospital and not reimbursed by the medical scheme. If you are not on a medical aid, you will need to either admit yourself to a public hospital, or you will need to be able to give a private hospital financial surety that you are able to pay.  
Additional information the hospital might need to know In an emergency it is a good idea for the hospital to have as much information on hand to make the best possible decision about your treatment. Specific allergies, blood type, religious impacts on treatment, living wills and special medical devices such as pacemakers can easily be documented with electronic devices such as MED-e-KEY by Medic Alert, or Lifecap (a Netcare product), or of course the more traditional Medic Alert bracelet. Electronic information systems such as Google Health, Microsoft HealthVault or Medibook.co.za also offer new avenues of access to electronically stored personal health data, if you have an account with them, but they are relatively new technology. Important numbers / Things to remember:
Aggressive Driving Aggressive driving is often demonstrated by drivers who take their anger, resentment and frustration with them behind the wheel. These attitudes can lead to crashes and nasty confrontations. Many instances of this aggressive behaviour involve drivers who cut you off, make unsafe lane changes, speed, follow too closely, run red lights, and disobey traffic signs and signals. Add to that less than ideal picture, the blaring of a horn, angry voices shouting and rude hand gestures. All of these driving patterns can lead to road rage or the kind of highway madness that has drivers engaging in physical fights or using their vehicles to ram other drivers, sometimes forcing them off the road. -::- How to avoid aggressive driving? -::- When you find yourself in a stressful driving environment or when your mood makes you irritable and impatient, calm down, take a deep breath and relax. An aggressive state of mind will come through in your driving behaviour and affects your safety and the safety of others. Be courteous, content and considerate. Accept the fact that you're bound to meet all sorts of different drivers on the road. Don't take things personally. Try to follow some simple courteous driving practices:
Road Rage BRYANSTON – Eleven percent of South African drivers claim to have been at the receiving end of threatening behaviour in the past 12 months, where the aggressor got out of the vehicle to confront them, according to a new survey by Synovate. Over 4,000 driving respondents in 10 markets were asked whether they have experienced various acts on the road ranging from the irritating – persistent honking of horns – to actual physical violence. Synovate also asked respondents about their own aggressive driving behaviour, as well as the primary vehicle they drive. The markets surveyed were South Africa, Greece, France, the US, Brazil, Malaysia, India, Korea, Taiwan and the UK. Despite their diversity in terms of culture, level of economic development and even types of vehicles, all of these markets showed significant levels of aggression on the road. It is South Africa, however, that holds the unfortunate first place in this regard, with an overwhelming 67% of those interviewed reportedly experiencing some aggressive (85.1%) or threatening (11%) behaviour directed at them in the past 12 months. Hot on their heels was the UK, with Greece not far behind. Perhaps reports of road rage incidences that have led to fatalities and murder charges have led to some caution, as South African motorists tend to demonstrate their aggression from within their vehicle, using rude gestures, flashing headlights and hooting to indicate their anger. Indeed, with the exception of Greece and India, most motorists prefer to stay within the (relative) safety of their vehicle. Scott Miller, global CEO of Synovate Motoresearch, explains that this is all about our personal space, and invasion of this personal space is a serious step. “What’s interesting is how few actually get out of the car to settle things on the spot,” Miller points out. “It appears they are also only comfortable or brave enough to make those gestures from within that protected space.” Perhaps unsurprisingly given its anti-social context, admission to the respondents’ own aggressive behaviours was far less forthcoming. However, SA again led the field, with 62% of those interviewed admitting that they had used aggressive behaviour on the road, from verbal insults right through to physical assault. Albert McLean, Synovate’s Chief Operating Officer for Middle East/Africa, cautioned that the higher rate of admissions could itself be cause for concern. McLean explained, “We may be witnessing indicators that aggression and road rage are becoming more acceptable social behaviour in South Africa. Acceptance of these behaviours will surely see an increase in aggression on our roads”. In terms of the context where aggressive behaviours occur, it seemed that rush hour was the time when South Africans generally behave poorly on the roads. Given the delays and stress on the roads this may seem inevitable, but this was not the case in most of the other markets. In the UK, Taiwan, France and the USA, aggression was more commonly reported when driving for leisure purposes or errands. In the UK, Taiwan and France, this is most likely owing to the use of public transport infrastructure, such as trains, buses and subway / underground trains, for the commute to work in these countries. When asked to rate their behaviour as a driver, the respondents from SA tended more towards describing themselves as slow and cautious, rather than fast and reckless, although the majority rated themselves as midway between these two points. This did not differ significantly from most of the other markets surveyed. The term ‘road rage’ has loosely defined all anti-social behaviour on the road, although Dr. Barry J. Elliott, an Australian research and communication psychologist, argues in a 1999 paper that it should only be confined to “intentional acts of violence and assault, and that the issue is a criminal matter, not a road safety concern.” McLean concluded by saying, “Given the reluctance of most South Africans to leave the safety of their vehicles, in this context, the incidence of road rage may be somewhat exaggerated. Nevertheless, South Africans are clearly extremely aggressive on the roads. Given the absence of an effective public transport system to deal with diverse demand and geographic spread of potential users, the pressure on South African roads during the morning and evening commute is unlikely to abate, and along with it, the resulting aggression.”
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