Load-Shedding Fender Benders: Why Power Cuts Spike Accidents – and How We Get You Back on the Road Fast
- MC Bosch
- May 9
- 2 min read
“Robots are out, traffic’s a mess, and suddenly bam – your bakkie’s rear quarter panel looks like a crumpled tin can.”Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
South Africans clock over 1 700 traffic-signal failures every day during Stage-4 load shedding – turning intersections into chaos zones. A Gauteng study shows 31 % of robots fail on an average day, climbing past 50 % during heavy outages. No surprise crash numbers jump any time Eskom flips the switch.
Why load shedding = more accidents
Dead robots & right-of-way confusion – congestion balloons, gaps disappear, impatience grows.
Unofficial “pointsmen” & vandalised lights – some intersections are sabotaged for quick tips, turning chaos into catastrophe.
Driver fatigue – longer, stop-start commutes drain concentration.
Damage we fix every outage cycle
Damage | Typical cause | Our fix |
Bumper & grille cracks | Low-speed shunts in bumper-to-bumper queues | OEM bumper replacement + PPG colour-match respray |
Rear quarter dents | Taxi taps while jockeying through dark robots | Same-day Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) where possible |
Wheel-arch & rim scrapes | Squeezing past stalled lanes | Rim straightening + respray |
Headlight & sensor hits | Intersection T-bones | Genuine part sourcing + calibrated fitment |
(Quotes generated with Audatex for total transparency.)
Fender-bender during load shedding? Do this:
Treat the dark intersection as a four-way stop.
Snap clear photos of the scene and damage.
Email us at claims@hjbosch-sons.co.za with the pics and your policy details.
On-the-Go Assessment: Our techs come to you anywhere in Pretoria and return a written estimate within 24 h.
Authorise & relax – we handle the insurer admin while you get SMS status updates.
Why insurers and brokers keep sending cars our way
SAMBRA-accredited across Pretoria.
Lifetime paintwork guarantee via PPG Refinish.
Group average 90 %+ Lightstone KAI score for customer satisfaction.
Drive smarter when the lights go out
Approach any dark robot at < 30 km/h.
Maintain a two-second gap (stopping distances double in bumper-to-bumper).
Fit bright LED daytime running lights to stay visible when street lights die.
Where to find us
Need a quote right now?
👉 Drop us an email at claims@hjbosch-sons.co.za—we’ll sort the rest.
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