Accidents Are An Insured Thing
Sun Herald
Sunday January 18, 2009
RTA statistics show more than 24,000 people were injured in road accidents last year. And the risk of a mishap rises in holiday periods when traffic increases dramatically, by up to 50 per cent.
For Sydney retiree Harold Hopkinson, 79, a road trip to Queensland ended in disaster when he was hospitalised after a crash at Ballina, in northern NSW."The car was written off. He was knocked out with head, back and foot injuries," his wife, Judith, 67, recalls."I was fairly upset at the time, when I rang the hospital to find out how serious his injuries were."Mrs Hopkinson contacted an NRMA Insurance helpline, which is free to comprehensive policy-holders. Staff organised a motel for Harold, a flight back to Sydney the next day and assistance and transport home."Unfortunately, you often don't find out these things are available until accidents happen but I felt like all our troubles had been taken out of our hands," she says.Research by insurance company GIO shows 40 per cent of NSW motorists do not know what their CTP greenslip covers and one-fifth do not have comprehensive car insurance in addition to their CTP greenslip.Head of NRMA Insurance's retail sales and services, Gary Dransfield, says motorists should take insurance more seriously.Dransfield recommends comprehensive cover to assist with damage to your own vehicle and others or, at least, CTP and a third-party property damage policy to include injuries and damage to another person's vehicle or property."Make sure your insurer is available 24 hours a day," he says. "You never know when you might have an accident, particularly in the holidays - people drive at funny times."
© 2009 Sun Herald
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