Dubai: Having to pay the cost for another motorist’s negligence on the roads is an additional burden for residents who are trying to cut corners when it comes to expenses. Motorists urged the authorities to change the rules of compensation by insuerers and pay for the victims of other motorists negligence.
“Altogether my husband and I spent Dh200 [in taxis], which is really a big amount for us to spend in just two days for an unnecessary thing. We borrowed it from our friend and have to pay it back to him when we get our next salary,” said Mehwish, a resident of Abu Dhabi.
Mehwish’s case is similar to that of many other motorists who were hit by another driver that was not paying attention to the roads.
“We have been struggling for the last four years to cope with the fast-paced expensive life in the UAE and trying to save every single dirham for our coming days. We have been following all the traffic rules and never encountered any problem until last weekend,” she pointed out.
Other motorists also reaffirmed that the insurance rules do not favour themwhen hit by a third party, and they do not see the logic in having to pay the cost in renting a car or for an additional premium with their insurance companies.
Several leading auto insurance experts in the UAE explained that there is a standard practice for companies to operate and that they refer to international auto insurance companies when laying out their policies, including third party liability.
The majority of automobile insurance companies provide the option for customers to pay an additional premium per year for approximately Dh150, which offers an alternative vehicle while yours is undergoing repairs, which is standard procedure according to international guidelines. “I was driving on Shaikh Zayed Road and keeping a safe distance between the car in front of mine, but the driver behind me was talking on his mobile phone and was close to my bumper. The minute I braked, the car hit me from behind and even though the insurance took care of the repairs, I had to spend about Dh120 a day for a rental car. The other driver was clearly at fault but I had to pay for his mistake,” said Ebrahim, a Dubai resident.
