President of the National Council on Public Transportation (NCOPT), Godfrey Ferdinand believes insurance premiums should not increase for drivers who have been accident-free for decades, while reckless drivers should face harsher penalties.
In an interview with St. Lucia Times, Ferdinand argued that it was unfair to penalise safe drivers because of the “carelessness and the foolishness of [other] persons on the road”.
“Do not raise persons’ premiums that have been driving for [over] 25 years without an accident,” Ferdinand said.
“They should raise the premium of the persons that are involved in these accidents, or even refuse to insure them after two or three accidents if they are in the wrong.”
He also proposed more severe consequences for individuals involved in serious accidents, suggesting that drivers at fault should have their licences revoked.
Additionally, the NCOPT president called for a system to review accidents and implement a demerit point system.
To further improve road safety, he recommended the use of speed guns by police officers.
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My premium went from $600 to $850 in 2 years. That’s a 40% increase. Never claimed from insurance in 24 years of driving. Those companies are using this as an excuse to enrich themselves. Same like we saw over the last 2 years. Yet they will claim inflation is 3%.
Says a man who has been a member of the Road Transport Board for almost 10 yrs or more. As a board member what hv u achieved to improve Road Safety. Just Talk Talk. SMH. All we hv are ppl in positoin that always talk and looking to pass on responsibility.
Godfrey from his statement has more brains than insurance executives unless their decisions are solely based on maximizing profits while their policy holders are is despair! Look what happened in Manhattan, an irate psycho took it out on high profit, high bonus medical insurance exec….I personally think insurances are scams….no one would be battling insurance companies especially when they are not at fault with road collisions. This has to stop! Thank you Godfrey, tell it to them!!
I do support your recommendations, I too, have a difficulty with that course of action by the insurance company.
I had a conversation with them when I went to pay my insurance, however, there’s nothing they can do about it.
I’ve been driving on the road daily from,1989, accident free,yet I have to pay for the, carelessness and recklessness of others. How can that be fair.
I believe they so be made to pay for their actions and not a one size shoe for all.
Radar guns will not cut it, it’s obvious you can have the police in every corner in,St.Lucia at once,though I support the recommendation and measures.
I do hope that; in the,New Year,common sense shall prevail and we see less carnage on our roadway’s.
@ la verdard…..that’s the problem with alot of you in society! Instead of facing the problem head on , you digress and wander into a world of nonsense. Road safety is everyone’s business but there are people are being paid to enact and enforce laws around Road safety, there are those who are being paid monthly to develop Road safety policies and new initiatives around reducing traffic collisions. These same people have more authority than Godfrey!!! What have these people done to help reduce collisions? What have they done to manage the high imports of vehicles? What have they done to enact laws in the road traffic act? Man, callate! Godfrey is damn right to single out those insurance crooks and that’s what this article is about!!!!
I hear you
It is time to allow self insurance and have insurance companies as optional