Fuel price hikes have had a big impact on South Africans’ daily lives, as consumers spend more at the pump but get fewer litres of fuel in total.
It is no surprise then that Discovery Insure’s latest Drive Trends Report finds many are taking fewer work trips per month. The data also reveals interesting findings into driving behaviour in different provinces and speeding behaviour – showing an increase in speeding incidents, especially on weekends.
The Drive Trends Report, released on 30 November 2023, analysed the driving behaviour of over 240,000 drivers on Discovery Insure’s Vitality Drive programme. The data, gathered between January and October 2023, resoundingly confirms that clients’ purchasing behaviour changes when the fuel price changes.
The latest data shows that when the fuel price is around R22 per litre, the average client spends around R1,950 per month. However, when the fuel price increases above R24 per litre, clients spend around R2 150 each month and get almost three litres less in fuel. In the current environment, this puts additional financial pressure on clients and by extension, on South Africans.
Given the financial pressure many are facing, it was not surprising to see that there is a change in consumer driving behaviour. On average, clients are now taking five fewer work trips per month compared to one year ago.
The data also shows that clients in Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape have an average fuel consumption that is nearly one litre per 100km more than that of clients in the other provinces. This is a result of worse traffic in these regions compared to other provinces.
When it comes to fuel efficiency – how much fuel is consumed per kilometre driven – Limpopo drivers top the charts with an average fuel consumption of six litres per 100km. By comparison, if Gauteng drivers had the same fuel efficiency as Limpopo drivers, they could save almost 20% of their fuel bill every month.
The Drive Trends Report reveals that speeding is the worst driving behaviour among clients, while people speed 50% more on weekends compared to weekdays. People aged between 30 and 35 speed the most.
“This data is powerful because it tells a story. Speeding remains stubbornly high. It is concerning to see from the data that many South Africans, particularly those in their early to mid-thirties, still tend to drive too fast on our roads,” says Attwell.
The report also shows that Western Cape drivers and women, nationally, speed the least. “In fact, women lose 30% less points for speeding compared to men,” says Attwell.
Data reveals that, on weekdays, the peak driving time for the morning is 6:45am, indicating that most people start work, in-office, between 7am and 8am.