Compolsory insurance anyone?

[skoty]

I dont know about you guys but I'm sick of all these low life scum bags driving around on no insurance what so ever causing sh*t and having accidents which ends up back firing on to the person in the right and with insurance. Its happened to me as well as to many other people I know where an accident has occured and he/she is unable to pay out for repairs on your car when you are in the right costing you $$$ ... this sh*t doesnt seem right aye

Should insurance be a legal requirement such as WOF's and regos?

What are your opinions?

[PumpN]

i think its a awesome idea, if you can't afford thrid party cover then you sure as hell can't afford to repair someone elses car should you come into some trouble, i wouldn't ride my bike until i had my policy sorted and don't know why other people drive/ride round without it, insurance is just as important as registration or a WOF or gas in your tank imho, you shouldn't go anywhere without them (apart from to parmy), i think in the UK third party is compulsary? can anyone confirm this?

[Dell'Orto]

I have a feeling full insurance is over there, but I could be wrong. I think its a good idea, but the insurance companies charge an arm and a leg for it....if it became compulsory, they'd seriously need to sort their sh*t out.

[Al]

Im going against the grain here. Why give the Government power over another freedom of choice and make insurance compulsory? If I dont want insurance I won't pay for it.

Also think about whats gonna happen to your premiums....they will go through the roof.If insurance is now compulsory; insurance companies will be able to pretty much charge even more than they do now.

[BlakJak]

Or by the same token theres better regulation - say a ombudsman or moderator or something.

If you drive uninsured and without the ability to fix any damage you cause to a third party by accident - you should be prosecutable and it shouldnt be HARD :/ $5/week repayments coz the guys on the benefit isnt acceptable - he shouldnt have been driving in the first case if that is true.

[B1NZ]

Im going against the grain here. Why give the Government power over another freedom of choice and make insurance compulsory? If I dont want insurance I won't pay for it.

I disagree, cos if a bill like this was passed then it would be hopefully passed to protect us! I mean if your car was written off then would you want to be landed the bill while they pay you $5 a week?

So to add to the confusion "Yes" i support compulsory insurance!

[Undertow]

Yeah, I really do agree with what you're saying. But in cases like mine (owning a twin turbo, 18 years old, and a careless driving charge) it's damn hard trying to find someone who'll insure me. If I do get it I'll be paying through the nose.

So I just play it safe and don't drive like people would expect me too...granny styles.

[Al]

Oh don't get me wrong. I've got full insurance and you are mad not too....but its making it 'complulsory' that I dont like. Too many things in this country are being taken away because of govts like ours.

[Jools]

If insurance was compulsory, insurance premiums would be LOWER, as insurance companies would take "having to pay out because of non insured drives" out from the equation. Theres plenty of compitetion in the insurance market. Prices directly come from the risks involved.

And UK is 3rd party compulsory, but their insurance is ridiculously expensive because they have the right to sue for just about anything. Which means insurance has to cover everything under the sun. Plus car theft is pretty high there.

[fivebob]

Until ACC was created third party insurance was compulsory and was paid with your car rego, they dropped it and only substituted personal injury compensation in the form of ACC, property damage was no longer covered.

With good reason too, those scumbags as you put it, just drive up the cost for everyone, and chances are they won't pay their rego anyway, so they're still not going to be covered and you will still have to pay yourself, along with a donation to the insurance co.

After a distasteful experience with an Insurance Co, I drove for 20 years without insurance on the basis that if I were to have an accident then chances are it would be the other drivers fault and I would pay more in insurance than it would cost to fix my car. Which proved to be correct, the only accident I had was was a driver running a stop sign, who wasn't insured anyway, and it only cost $500 to fix my HQ Holden, her (borrowed) Toyota was a right off. $500 for 20 years, try and find insurance for $25 per year.

These days I insure my vehicles, but accident coverage isn't my primary concern, I only do it cause too many low lives are stealing cars these days not for any accident coverage, which chances are the insurance co will try and wriggle out of

[BlakJak]

fivebob sounds like you did well from a statistical point of view.

Point tho, if you'd accidentally driven into someones $500,000 Merc would your $25/year have covered it?

[fivebob]

fivebob sounds like you did well from a statistical point of view.

Point tho, if you'd accidentally driven into someones $500,000 Merc would your $25/year have covered it?

No, but I rate myself as a better driver than that, and experience shows I was right to do so. Besides which the $500,000 Merc better be insured as could only be a Gull Wing for that price and even I wouldn't have it uninsured Then my only problem would be how to spell bankruptcy cause I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to pay back then, now is a different story hence the insurance.

[Simon K]

S600 would be getting up that area, price wise...seriously it's irresponsible to not have insurance, especially when people start claiming how good a driver they are.

They don't call them 'accidents" for nothing, you can't plan for them.

[B1NZ]

S600 would be getting up that area, price wise...seriously it's irresponsible to not have insurance, especially when people start claiming how good a driver they are.

They don't call them 'accidents" for nothing, you can't plan for them.

Exactly what i was thinking! Even the best drivers are involved in accidents! Ask possum

[fivebob]

"Accidents" are just that, but safe driving is no accident, liability is another point all together. I'll let my driving record speak for itself, 29 years no accidents that were my fault and (only one that was not), hence I would have no call on third party insurance. I took the risk just the same as insurance Co.s and corporations do. Most Local Authorities, medium to large businesses don't have insurance, are they being irresponsible, or just fiscally sound?

As to whether it's irresponsible or not depends on your ability/willingness to pay if there was an accident that was your fault, and I was fully prepared to pay if found at fault, the $500k example is just BS ain't likely to happen, and ain't going to cost $500k if it does, beside which any fool that pays $500k for a Merc deserves all they get.

Now to the other point that everyone convienently forgets is that if you have anything wrong with your vehicle, were speeding, intoxicated or commited any offence then the insurance company has the right not to pay, hell they don't even pay sometimes if they even suspect such things, with or without proof.

You can go around with this aura of confidence that you're covered for your stupidity, but reality will hit you hard when the Insurance Co refuses your claim, and are you any more responsible than someone who is prepared to pay for the consequences of their actions, simple answer is NO, you're being less than responsible, unless of course you car is always in WOF condition, you never speed, you never drive in careless manner and obey all road rules, then you're not likely to have a accident that is your fault, so what use is third party insurance to you?

Insurance should always be optional, and if you can't afford to repair your own vehicle in the event of a mishap, then you should insure it, but third party is just "paying for your own stupidity" insurance, I'd much rather people were better educated (and tested) drivers, than have them thinking "I'm alright Jack, I've got third party insurance" at least they might be a bit more careful if they had something to lose.

[Roush]

the $500k example is just BS ain't likely to happen, and ain't going to cost $500k if it does, beside which any fool that pays $500k for a Merc deserves all they get.

i was taking you seriously there for a moment....

[BlakJak]

Hrmph.
Work it down toward $100,000 and its much more feasible - and it'll still happen.
If they cant get it out of you via Insurance theyll take you to court - god help you if you ever make a single mistake on the road.

My last prang was 'my fault' in the eyes of the law even though it was not my fault in the eyes of anyone with commonsense - but the laws the law. Fortunately the other guy had bullbars and i'm the one who gets to repaint. :/

Noones perfect, accidents happen - Agree with Simon K.

[fivebob]

Exactly what i was thinking! Even the best drivers are involved in accidents! Ask possum

And was he found at fault/liable, No... we're talking about two completely different things. Accidents, which can happen to anyone, and liability for those accidents, which happens when you don't drive with due care and attention.

Again I'll state my point in case I have not made it abundantly clear enough already. I was prepared to pay for the cost of any accident where I was at fault, I simply backed myself to be above the average driver when it comes to care and attention, hell I was gambling with a lot more than someones hard earned $$$, my life, as I spent a great deal of it on two wheels not hiding in a tin can. That tends to make you much more aware of what is happening around you, and a lot more careful. I also spent 15 years racing all sorts of vehicles so my vehicle control skills were probably up to par at least.

Being above the average doesn't take much, standards are pretty poor in NZ, especially when it comes to care and attention, ask any motorcyclist how many times they've heard "Sorry mate, I didn't see you" it's so common it must be the mating call of the tin top lunatic

[fivebob]

the $500k example is just BS ain't likely to happen, and ain't going to cost $500k if it does, beside which any fool that pays $500k for a Merc deserves all they get.

i was taking you seriously there for a moment....

oops my bad, should read "besides which any fool that pays $500k for a Merc and doesn't insure it deserves all they get.

[Roush]

got it