This weekend, is D Day for South Africans to voice their comments by Sunday 8 October on the Draft Road Accident Fund Amendment Bill 2023 which is being described by many as a travesty of justice.

The road safety rights of all drivers, passengers & pedestrians to claim compensation for injuries suffered in a motor car accident will be significantly reduced if the Draft Road Accident Fund Amendment Bill is passed into law.

Advocate Justin Erasmus, Chairperson of the Personal Injury Plaintiff Lawyers Association (PIPLA), says now is the time for South Africans to stand up for their constitutional rights. “A draft Bill of this nature with such far reaching implications, not only for the victims of motor accidents but also but also on the livelihoods of all South Africans, particularly the poor and marginalised, has been given grossly insufficient time for proper and meaningful public participation,” he says.

Drawing widespread criticism from many different sectors,  medical professionals have labelled the changes as immoral and unethical. “With the new bill, unemployed people will get nothing, i.e. no compensation for loss of earnings or general damages, and an effectively worthless undertaking for future medical expenses,“ says Dr Herman Edeling, Honorary Life Member of SAMLA , the South African Medico-Legal Association. There are also far-reaching implications for medical aid members who will no longer be eligible to claim for outstanding expenses.

Erasmus says a number of sites have been set up to assist citizens understand the implications of these changes. Concerned citizens can visit the site and also lodge their complaints directly today or latest, Sunday 8 October, on any of the sites including www.roadsafetyrights.org; https://medicalschemes-raf-act.co.za; https://dearsouthafrica.co.za/road-accident-fund to name just three.  “It literally takes just 2 minutes to object and gives everyone a chance to protect their road safety rights,” concludes Erasmus.