03/05/2021

Pothole Patrol

Pothole Patrol - A joint initiative with Discovery Insure and Dialdirect.

Discovery Insure together with Dialdirect and The City of Joburg have launched the Pothole Patrol initiative. As drivers, we all know the extent of potholes on our country’s roads and just how damaging, and even dangerous, they can be for road users. As a business, the collective impact of this ‘hits close to home’ and we are always on the lookout for ways that we can make a positive difference by implementing initiatives that align with our core purpose of ‘enhancing and protecting the lives of South Africans’. 

Through shared-value, repairing potholes is just one way we can make a difference. I can speak for us all at Discovery Insure when I say that we are proud to be a part of this joint initiative, which will no doubt, play a valuable role in making our roads safer for everyone. 

A significant benefit that Discovery Insure brings to this initiative is the ability to identify potholes through the use of our extensive telematics data asset. To date we have collected over 13 billion km’s of data and we will use this to prioritise which potholes to fix first. 

In addition we are building a mobile app for all JHB residents to report potholes, but in the interim please report potholes to hotline@jra.org.za

We travel on the same roads and we want the same thing – creating safer roads for all. Spot our trucks on the roads and watch this space for more exciting developments.

Anton Ossip - CEO, Discovery Insure

Did you Know?

The meaning of Pothole: A depression or hollow in a road surface caused by wear or subsidence.

In Johannesburg alone, it is believed that an average of 1,000 plus are reported each week. Cape Town reportedly spends more than R110 million per year repairing. Despite all efforts, they are still prevalent on the roads.

Extreme weather conditions, poor road maintenance and high volumes of traffic all contribute to the creation of potholes. In South Africa, high temperatures cause cracks to form in the tar. Over time, these cracks widen, and rain water seeps in, affecting the consistency of the underlying layers of crushed rock and gravel which is why they are also more prevalent in Spring. Layers of the pothole lose strength and then collapse, creating a hole that gets bigger and bigger and erode's due to the traffic passing.

You’re driving and hit a pothole, frustrating and worrying. It could be that your car has gotten off lightly without any causes for concern, but it is often difficult to identify if damage has occurred.

4 Signs if your car is damaged by a pothole

  1. Your tyres or rims are dented. A flat tyre, a bulge in your tyre or dent in the rim is the first sign - get it checked straight away, it could compromise your safety while driving.
  2. The steering wheel shakes or vibrates and just doesn't feel right. A vehicle inspection would assist here where they can check your wheel alignment and steering component.
  3. You see fluid linking from under your car. If the pothole was big enough, it can hit the undercarriage of your car causing leaks and problems - don't leave it.
  4. Unusual noise from your exhaust system. Damage to the exhaust system can lead to long-term issues with your engine if left unaddressed.

Don’t wait until small issues turn into expensive repairs.

The SA road network comprises of approximately 754,600 km of roads and streets. Make sure that your preferred mode of transport is insured. Get a FREE Quote now!

The Government is paying millions of rands to South Africans for damage caused by potholes

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