About four of every ten accidents are caused by driver distraction, such as cellphones, and insurers are lobbying Government to include a ban on mobiles in pending amendments to the Road Traffic Act, along with the breathalyzer test.
“Further to the proposed amendments, we believe that we need go further and have legislation to address the use of communication devices when driving,” president of the General Insurance Association of Barbados (GIAB), Michael Holder, told a Press conference yesterday at the Corporate Centre, Weymouth.
“That is welcomed and no doubt should result in a reduction in motor vehicular accidents. Our position is supported by a recent industry survey which suggested that approximately 42 per cent of accidents in Barbados occur as a result of driver distraction.”
GIAB also rejected suggestions, in the wake of an ongoing police investigation into alleged motor vehicle insurance fraud, and a concurrent probe into loans for cars that did not exist, that such policies were easily obtainable.
Holder indicated that the requirements for car owners to insure a vehicle were more stringent than some people realized.
