A Cynical View On Road Safety/Accountability

[Loz]

So imagine (like a parallel world, cos this would never happen here ) you park your car and some upstanding citizen crashes into it while you are away. You come back and he's bolted! Nowhere to be seen. Great. So a kindly witness gives you the registration number. That's a good break. You take it to the cops. Cops are real friendly and take the report. You call your insurance guy and he comes and is really friendly and tells you when the cops catch the guy and bring him in, call him so he'll come and sort everything out for you. Cool. Everyone is so helpful. You wait a few weeks. Get the call from the cops. Cool they got him! but oh no, he's poor. haven't you got your car sorted yet? No? didn't the insurance take care of it already? no? Oh, well lets get insurance guy down here then. Ok!

Insurance guy says 6k. Mr hit and run says. No way. We go out to the car and look at the damage. Mr hit and run feels he's getting scammed. you're feeling no sympathy 'cos he tried to scam you when he "hit and ran". He offers four but thats not enough. need 5k minimum says mr insurance. "cos 1k has to go to the cops" hmmm... lots of postulating and in the end mr Hit and Run hands over 5k on the promise from Mr Insurance that the police won't have a problem with him.

Back into the cop shop and the paper work is drawn up. You sign the document that says Mr Hit and Run gave you "4000" and he signs and Mr Insurance signs and the cop signs and everything is cool. You get the note from Mr Insurance who takes you to "his" preferred garage cos the one near your home that you asked for has a really long waiting list "apparently" and book the job in. Mr garage is very happy to see mr insurance. you doubt its because the work is really costing him 1500 in parts and labour and he's making 100% profit. And you doubt Mr insurance is going to jus give him 3000 and get a 1000bht kick back. because you never thought (in the intervening three weeks) to get a "real" quote or two from decent bodyshops yourself.

So, we are imagining a world where in the event of an accident, the police do their job excellently because there is a gratuity in it for them over and above their salary. (salary means "the money you get for DOING YOU JOB") Insurance adjuster adjusts the figures to pocket cash for himself and the cop and his friendly garage while making sure that his employer doesn't have to pay out any money at all. You get your car fixed after signing documents which you know to be untrue because to not do so would be "risky" at best and you really just want your car fixed. And, you feel a little "sum num na" is due to Mr it and run because he after all, hit you and ran!

In this world, WHO would want to change the way the "system" works?

Possibly - Mr Hit and Run

NO WAY - Officer Dibble

NO WAY - Mr Insurance

NO WAY - Mr Garage/Bodyshop repair man

NO WAY - Mr Politician (cops, insurance workers and garage owners DO vote, you know)

NO WAY - Mr Insurance's Employer

NO Way - Mr Insurance selling agent

quite unlikely - You

This example was of a very low cost claim. Extrapolate these practices to the instance where for example a driver with no insurance crashes into a motorcycle and kills the rider. (you'll have to imagine really hard, I know, cos that nevr happens here...)

Tell me, in this cynical world, would expect anything to change soon?

[MrRichard2009]

Mr. Insurance man might want to opt out ..... I got a year free insurance on my new car ..... after wrecking it 2 times in a year the insurance company politely declined to renew the policy ! ..... now since my wife drives it it's been smashed in on the front, the left side and the rear end, if we can manage to get the right side smashed in we will almost have a new car ! Does having new parts because of wrecks add to the value when you sell it in Thailand ? I was kind of glad some drunk smashed into the rear end because there was a scratch in the back and now it's all new again

[Loz]

Mr Insurance man is your greatest fan. Every time he comes to adjust your claim he is making money.

Mr Insurance's employer (the company that is underwriting your policy, shall we say, indirectly) is the one losing in this case. But he got into insurance knowing that its a gamble and like any good casino, the house always wins! He'll see you as a bad risk but that wouldn't stop him playing the game. He's still one of, if not THE biggest winner.

[jubby]

A friend of mine was the victim of a 'hit & run' a couple of years ago. I do remember all the bartering that went on.

I do remember that the upstanding Citizen that did the 'Hit and run' was a particularly upstanding citizen who wears a brown almost black uniform and shiny patent leather shoes.

Its just possible that he was 'unaware' of the incident I suppose ; It was dark

luckily or unluckily the Number plate fell off the offending vehicle and was recovered by the Victim.

Maybe 'Hit & run' isn't an offence here

[MrRichard2009]

Mr Insurance man is your greatest fan. Every time he comes to adjust your claim he is making money.

Mr Insurance's employer (the company that is underwriting your policy, shall we say, indirectly) is the one losing in this case. But he got into insurance knowing that its a gamble and like any good casino, the house always wins! He'll see you as a bad risk but that wouldn't stop him playing the game. He's still one of, if not THE biggest winner.

Yeah I meant the underwriter when I said Mr. Insurance man