Carpooling and insurance – what you need to know

SOUTH Africa's roads are some of the most congested globally. According to the 2024 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard, which analyses transportation data and trends among 946 urban areas across the globe, residents in Cape Town lost a staggering 94 hours per year owing to traffic.

- MARIUS KEMP

This makes it the seventh most traffic-congested city in the world. Add to this the high cost of petrol, and the case for carpooling to save money looks increasingly attractive.

Apart from combatting the boredom of being stuck in traffic and decreasing your carbon footprint, apps such as JustGo and Ugomyway help you to share a ride with people who are travelling the same way as you are so you can offset some of your running costs.

The benefits of carpooling are far-reaching, but there are pitfalls you must know about. It is important to understand the impact carpooling can have on your car insurance and what to watch out for:

Types of carpooling

Before you go any further, you need to decide which carpooling setup works best for you: