Insurance companies may handle minor accidents

Dubai Police's traffic department is discussing with Emirates Insurance Authority to refer the handling of minor traffic accidents to insurance companies, said Brigadier Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director of Traffic Department.

He said that a minor car accident happens every three minutes and it takes police officers a minimum of 10 minutes to attend to the accident. He noted that the time can be used more professionally if this idea becomes reality.

Discussions are under way with the authority, he said adding that the authority liked the idea and will discuss it with insurance companies.

The moves aims to provide a better service to motorists as well as saving their and police's time, he said.

The move, if approved, will be backed with a suggestion to increase or decrease insurance instalments on drivers according to their accident history sheet. “Those with many accidents in their record may end up with installments higher than those whose record is clean,'' he said. In a case where a car involved in a minor accident is not insured at a company that is part of the agreement, a police patrol will attend to the accident.

He added that insurance companies will receive training in evaluating accidents.

He noted that the move, if implemented, may find complaints in the beginning but this will only lead to a better service as every new system needs reevaluation of its performance until the desired result is achieved. The system will not be implemented before next year.

Al Zafein noted that road deaths have dropped from nine per cent in the first months of 2008 to 6.8 in the same period of 2009.