In the good old days, the law had it that every motor accident must be reported to the closest police station immediately, or with a minimum delay. No insurance company entertained a claim where the driver had failed to do so. A written explanation was called regarding the delay to consider whether or not to accept the reason proffered.
After the introduction of the ON THE SPOT SETTLEMENT, the urgent requirement of reporting the accident to the police was waived off, unless there is injury to person or Government property damage. Now, the driver only has to call his insurance company, and there is no involvement with the police.
If the accident was caused by a drunken driver in the past, the other party and the onlookers never allowed him to flee, but kept him at the scene until the police arrive. He was duly dealt with and punished at the Court of law. Same thing goes against any incompetent driver.
Now, any such driver never calls his insurance company immediately. He gets down a friend who is sober and / or competent who calls the insurance as if he was at the wheel. The other party too turns a blind eye as there was no need to confront with the police so long as they get their own claim paid. The poor assessor who arrives at the scene only has to obtain the details given by the substituted driver while the offender looks on!Ultimately the offender gets through.
In the circumstances, the offender goes scot free. No Court case, no traffic fine, traffic fines. The possibility of having compensation with no hassle and with no involvement with police, expels the drivers’ fear of meeting with accidents.
The insurance companies seem to send a return every week or two to the police mentioning the number of accidents and details reported, which is of no use, as the busy police will not be able to practically go back to things after several weeks where there is less or no circumstantial evidence at the scenes to conduct a proper and comprehensive inquiry and find the culprits to be brought to the book.May this be an eye opener to the authorities concerned.
ALAC