Saturday, April 28, 2007

accident? call the insurance - not the ROP

Beginning June of this year (i.e.: 2007), the Royal Oman Police will experiment with a new strategy to ease the mental and physical stress that is laid upon the drivers when it comes to matters of minor accidents and simple car damage in the Muscat governate - ranging from Bait Al Baraka roundabout to the service roads inside Muscat, itself.

What this means, is that if you should have a minor accident with your vehicle within the Muscat area, then you would immediately (you and the other party that had the accident) proceed to your own insurance company to file a claim.

This new strategy is due to be experimented for a 3 month period, upon which, the decision to make it permanent would be made by the ROP pending the results of this experimental period.

I have two questions though; 1) How would they know whose telling the truth between the two parties? and; 2) if they hit a lamp post, for instance, how would they get the other party to sign over a no claims admittance? :P

On a serious note, though; details have not been released for this specific piece of news. I am guessing they will probably come to that once the date looms closer to the ingratiation of the so-called new strategy.

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Link:

- Insurance companies take over accident claims from ROP (in Arabic)

5 comments:

Abdullah Al-Bahrani said...

I guess if the damage isnt too bad, then why claim it.
If it is bad, and insurance coverage is needed then claim it.
This just means that the insurance companies will have less claims, but more work to do with each one.

Sleepless In Muscat said...

Per Your Request:

I don't know whether or not you're aware of this: but in both cases (minor or major damage) you are required to draft a claim from the insurance company to get them to pay for the damage imposed on your vehicle.

Abdullah Al-Bahrani said...

Thats the case now, because each has accident has a report to go with it. However, when that is not the case, then there might be an incentive to just get it fixed without insurance when damage is low.
Why go through the hassel of negotiations if the parties involved can do it themselves and with minor costs.
This might help insurance companies correctly evaluate the riskiness of an individual, without taking into account small repairs.

Anonymous said...

about time.

The whole system is completely bonkers.

I unfortunately hit the post outside my house (crap driver), just a little damage but called the cops nevertheless. Two cops came along, looked at the bumper, yep yellow and black paint from the post, yes scratches on the post. I thought they would gimmie a ticket and off I go to the insurance co. No.... I spent a further 5 hours going here and there to the cop shop, then the registration place, back to the cop shop, what a bloody waste of time. Any senseless idiot could see that there wasn't any major damage, give me the cert in order for me to go tothe insurance co.

Balls to this in future, I have reduced my insurance to third party only and if a small accident happens I am off to Ruwi to a damage repair place on the sly.

I would crap myself being a tourist in Oman, the driving is bad enough but if you do have an accident expect to spend half your holiday fannying around with the cops.

The whole system is a brain fart!

mandy

Sleepless In Muscat said...

Per Your Request:

Maybe so, but I think they would still need a police report about the incident.

Guess we'll have to wait until the full details are disclosed.

Mandy:

So do you live in Oman, now? Or were here as a tourist? And what exactly happened with you?