Who are the most dangerous drivers in SA?
Budget Insurance has collated a list of the most dangerous drivers in South Africa by province. Read more here.
No one is in a better position to judge the most dangerous drivers in South Africa than an insurance company that deals with claims. Now, according to a report from TopAuto, Budget Insurance has collated a list of the most dangerous drivers in South Africa by province.
According to the low-cost insurance firm, the highest number of reported car accidents occur in Gauteng. This places the most dangerous drivers in South Africa in that province. Second is the Western Cape and third is KwaZulu-Natal.
MOST DANGEROUS DRIVERS IN SOUTH AFRICA
However, we wanted to collate these findings with the number of vehicles in each province, too. Because, it stands to reason, the more cars on the road, the more accidents are likely to take place. By accounting for this with the National Traffic Information System’s Live Vehicle Population list, we’ll have a better understanding of who the truly dangerous drivers in South Africa are.
| Rank | Province | No. of cars | % claims increase 2021 to 2023 |
| 1. | Gauteng | 4.5 million | +21% |
| 2. | Western Cape | 1.87 million | +22% |
| 3. | KwaZulu-Natal | 1.65 million | +7% |
| 4. | Eastern Cape | 792 k | +13% |
| 5. | Mpumalanga | 812 k | +31% |
| 6. | North West | 580 k | +2% |
| 7. | Limpopo | 704 k | +5% |
| 8. | Free State | 554 k | +10% |
| 9. | Northern Cape | 252 k | +12% |
| 11.7 million |
Budget Insurance has quantified its findings for the most dangerous drivers in South Africa by the % of claims increases since 2021. As you can see above, accident claims have increase across the board in every province. However, the biggest increases were in Mpumalanga (+31%), Western Cape (+22%) and Gauteng (21%).
DETERIORATING DRIVING STANDARDS
Therefore, it stands to reason that driving standards have deteriorated the most in those three provinces. Likewise, North West ranks sixth, despite having relatively few vehicles on its roads. Which means that’s an inordinately high number of accidents for the province. Similarly, the Eastern Cape is more dangerous than it should be, accounting for its vehicle population.
Nevertheless, even factoring in vehicle population, the reality is you’re still most likely to have an accident in Gauteng. The sheer volume of vehicles – 4.5 million, more than double any other province – ups your risk profile versus provinces like the Free State and Northern Cape. As always, you should drive with caution no matter which province you find yourself in.
ALSO READ: KwaZulu-Natal is the biggest target for rhino poachers in SA