MOTORING INSURANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 September 1928, Page 7

MOTORING INSURANCE

THIRD PARTY RISKS NEW BILL’S PROPOSALS (Special to "Star.”) WELLINGTON, September 27. The Motor Insurance (third party risk) Bill came up for the second reading in the House to-night. The Attorney General (Mr Rolleston) spoke for over an hour and a-half in explaining provisions in detail. He quoted statistics of motor accidents in New Zealand,-which he described as startling, and said very strong demand had come from all sections of the community asking for a scheme of compulsory insurance. Protection of life was the main object of the measure. Contracts for insurance covered only injury to persons, and not to property. Every car owner would be required to insure against liability to pay damages for death or injury, caused by the vehicle, so that insurance could be deemed to be as wide as it possibly could be. He also pointed out that under the -Bill, a person injured would have a claim, no matter who was driving. This provision also applied to intoxicated drivers.. The scheme was something in the nature of an experiment, and it was impossible to work out what the liability would be. The premium would have to be low at first. The Bill did not apply to those who voluntarily accepted rides, as it was primarily necessary to provide for those on the road who were knocked down. He would have liked and had intended to provide for the voluntary passenger. To do so would have necessitated a much higher premium. If a. man owned two cars, he would be called upon to - pay two premiums, as insurance was in respect of the car and not the perr-'n. The maximum liability any

company would be called upon to meet was £20,000, Under the 811, it would not be necessary to issue proposals or policies, and" that would mean a considerable saving of administrative charges. In regard to the making of claims, the Minister said it would be necessary for the claimants to'prove negligence against the driver before a claim could succeed. In regard to taxicabs, the present cost of insurance to cover passengers was from £l5 to. £34 a year, but under the Bill, it would be the uniform fee of £7/10/-. Omnibuses were also provided for; also motor vehicles run by local bodies.

Replying to a suggestion that a State monopoly should be made of third party insurance, the Minister said he was satisfied that no State monopoly could give any better or more liberal terms than were being provided for. The Bill would come into force next June. The Minister said that the premiums to be charged under the Bill were as follow: Private cars, including cars used by the medical profession and religious bodies, and also hearses and mourning coaches, £1; commercial vehicles, used for conveyance of goods and cars used by insurance companies, stock agents, commercial travellers and like, £l/10/-; commercial vehicles, which vdhile primarily used for conveyance of goods may be used on special occasions for conveyance of passengers £3; fii’e brigade vehicles £2, taxis, service cars, and buses, having licensed seating capacity, excluding the driver, as follow: Up to six seats, £'l/10/-: for each additional seat up to eleven seating capacity £l/10/-, for‘ each additional seat exceeding eleven up to 25 seating capacity, £1; for each additional seat exceeding 25 seating capacity 10/-; road rollers and tractors £l, motor cycles 15/-. The Bill was read a second time.

MOTOR SHOW DEVICES.

LONDON, September 27.

Additional to the automatic gear, other features of the Motor Show will be a considerable reversion to the offside gear lever, improved gear-cutting to ensure noiselessness ,and an antirolling device, to lessen the dangers of cornering.