Han Ximin
THE city s 54 offices handling accident insurance claims will extend office hours to 7:30 p.m. from Nov. 15.
The extended hours were expected to speed up claims procedures for motorists, a meeting of the Shenzhen Insurance Association was told Tuesday.
In future, insurance companies would not send agents to the scene of minor accidents on city trunk roads, roads prone to congestion or checkpoint areas such as Buji or Meilin. Motorists would instead be asked to drive to the nearest claims office to have the damage assessed and lodge insurance claims.
The claims offices were required to finish claim procedures within 30 minutes. Where motorists became involved in disputes over liability for the accident, police would be required to attend to mediate.
Drivers involved in minor accidents would be required to move their vehicles from the scene within five minutes of reporting the accident. Those who failed to move their vehicles would be fined 500 yuan (US$75).
This was intended to reduce the number and duration of traffic jams caused by minor accidents. Drivers should fill in accident confirmation letters and lodge compensation claims within 48 hours of an accident.
Police would contact motorists who were responsible for an accident but failed to go to claims offices. Anyone submitting false information could be charged, police said.
There were 1.8 million vehicles in Shenzhen, including 200,000 vehicles registered outside the city, by the end of September. This figure was increasing by 15 percent a year. Police receive an average of 1,494 accident reports every day, with 80 percent or more being minor collisions.
