Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Press letter: Motorists should get extra insurance cover for mishaps



My letter to MediaCorp’s TODAY newspaper on the above matter is published today, Tuesday 20th December 2016.

Ensuring that our motorists exercise caution and obey traffic rules is necessary, given the many accidents on our roads, some resulting in death or serious injury.

To this end, I support the call for long-time motorists to take a refresher safe driving course (“Hold a refresher safe driving course for veteran motorists”; Dec 17).

Besides this, motorists, including riders, must be mindful of flooding and fallen trees, which could injure them or their passengers, and damage their vehicles. With ageing trees and climate change, an accident could occur when one least expects it.

All motorists have insurance cover for their vehicles, but how many would buy insurance that compensates them if their vehicles get damaged?

They may want to save costs by only taking up accident insurance, or they may be unaware that floods or fallen trees are not covered by accident insurance.

Recently, a motorist had a narrow escape when a tree fell on his van along Upper Aljunied Road and crushed it. Other motorists have been in a similar predicament too.

Drivers cannot claim compensation for such mishaps unless they got additional cover for such mishaps when they bought their accident insurance. The additional sum can be only S$50 or so.

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

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