CANDOR TRUST MEDIA RELEASE

Third Party Insurance a Victim Coup

Third party auto insurance will be a major breakthrough for victim's rights if the insurance is intended to extend to cover for loss, damage or injury including death for vehicular offender's victims.

Candor Trust is extremely pleased with the apparent resolve to enact this idea from the Hon. Harry Duynhoven.

It is a popular idea which Ministry of Transport staff have diligently been researching the merits of since the "Safe As" workshops, and one of the sanest propositions to gain momentum midst boy racer histrionics.

"Finally the Government is starting to act like we were not left behind in the last century - so far as road safety goes," says Ed Radley (Road Safety Educator).

It is proposing to introduce some needed regulation where previously we've had only the law of the jungle, and consequently languished in the lower echelons of road toll statistics in the OECD.

"This will raise the bar, it is a step in the right direction. We just can't continue to rank in the bottom 4 countries for child road killing".

"We can only hope that the drug and drink driving recidivists who've killed nearly 4x the kids they did only five years ago may get priced out of the driving market".

Candor predicts there will be a rise in car borrowing by the deviates, so we may need to legislate against loaning cars to drunks and stoners, be they Rellys or not.

"We hope the Insurance Industry embraces this, as an idea likely to produce long term cost reductions and safety gains - given adequate enforcement by Police".

Road victims will thank the Government for introducing a regime that will see a far greater number of them treated humanely.

The prospect of realistic compensation to them or their estate for often enormous traumas in the majority of cases is long long overdue.

Traumatic grief over homicidal death distinctly differs from other forms of grief, as it is likely to deeply scar victims. Psychological harm can create financial stress.

Statistics from the Federation of European Road Victims long range study have shown that the significant others of those killed by dangerous and impaired drivers have higher death rates from cancer and suicide for the next 6 years.

This is largely due to the stigma and lack of societal provision for co-victims needs.

When a loved one is injured or killed in a road crash caused by another, financial impacts can become a major secondary victimization.

Atop of emotional burdens there are many "surprise" costs to affected victims;

for physical care, toll calls, travel to court cases, lost wages to a household as earners have died or are crippled and relatives can become caregivers at home or lose their own income through breakdowns as a result of grief and trauma.

Legal representation for Coroners Courts and funeral costs can be overwhelming.

People often must sell homes or businesses at a loss if mortgage payments or operating viability depended on a primary victim’s input. Or if emotions are hard.

Sudden death victims may not have "got their affairs in order," or any "life cover." Which can cause legal complications and costs to family, and offspring to face bleaker futures, so far as education funds and such-like go.

ACC is victim-stingy, those with spinal or head injuries have a terrible fight to get entitlements (say Candor members). It will not pay for road homicide victims to have counseling, or even for headstones for those killed by road criminals.

Only 20% of NZ DUI Victims succeed in having courts order reparation for property loss or emotional harm, which may be financial or other aid eg free labour.

Road victims say that even when this is Court ordered, drink and drug drivers will often reneg on payments leaving them car less or otherwise out of pocket.

ENDS

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