Uninsured driver surge 'disturbing'

SMASH: Uninsured drivers owe millions of dollars for road incidents.

A 25 per cent jump in the number of car crashes caused by uninsured drivers is racking up millions of dollars in debt.

A Masterton road policing officer says many young, male drivers in Wairarapa say they can't afford the premiums.

In the year to May, AA Insurance handled more than $7.7million in claims involving 3000 uninsured drivers - $2million more than in the corresponding period last year.

The number of uninsured drivers involved also rose by 700.

AA Insurance head of customer relations Suzanne Wolton said the increase was "disturbing".

"Uninsured drivers can amass big debts if involved in a crash, and this can have life-changing consequences."

Masterton Police Constable Dana Johanson said uninsured drivers could sometimes spell more danger on the roads.

"It's usually the younger guys that don't have any insurance."

Many couldn't afford it, and it just "didn't occur" to others.

Even when drivers were pulled over for something like a cracked windscreen, the excuse was always that they were "saving up" for insurance and didn't have the money to get it fixed, she said.

"I think money is certainly one of the biggest issues, especially for males under 25 because [the premiums] are a lot more as well. They have to jump a few more hurdles."

An AA driver survey done this year revealed the main reasons drivers went uninsured were cost, a belief the car wasn't worth insuring, or the driver wasn't eligible for cover.

One uninsured driver was facing a $41,000 repair bill after rear-ending an AA customer's car. "The simple fact is that if you don't have insurance, but damage someone else's property and it's your fault, then you're liable to pay for it out of your own pocket, cent by cent," Ms Wolton said.

"We still have drivers on our books who've been paying off their debt since the 1990s. Imagine what they could have purchased with that money."

It's estimated that at least a quarter of a million, or 8.5 per cent, of New Zealand's cars are uninsured.

Calls to follow the lead of places like the UK and New South Wales to make insurance compulsory have failed to gain traction here.

The Insurance Council has argued the problem lies with uninsurable people like recidivist drink-drivers, and compulsory third-party insurance would bump up insurance costs for everyone.
What to do in the event of a crash:

-Check that everybody involved in the collision is okay and call the emergency services if necessary.

-Don't try to settle the claim yourself; leave it to your insurer.

-Keep a pen and paper in the car for writing down details.

-Take a picture of the scene with a camera or phone.

-Make sure you get the other driver's correct registration number, name and contact number or address details.

-Contact your insurer and provide as much information as you can.Source: AA Insurance