The Role of Insurance Policies in Limiting the Traffic Conjunctions Resulting from Minor Accidents in Kuwait

تعتبر الحوادث المرورية أحد أسباب مشكلة الازدحامات المرورية، حيث أن أعداد الحوادث المرورية في تزايد مستمر وبمعدلات تصل إلى معدل سنوي يبلغ 9.5% بين عامي 2000 و2011، ويفوق هذا المعدل معدلات الزيادة في أعداد المركبات والتي تبلغ 7.1% سنويا لنفس الفترة، وتعتبر كثير من الحوادث على أنها حوادث بسيطة (الأضرار المادية تخص طرفي الحادث بالإضافة إلى عدم وجود إصابات أو وفيات ناتجة عن الحادث). لذلك تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى التوصل لوضع آليات للتعامل مع الحوادث المرورية البسيطة بهدف تبسيط الإجراءات لتخفيض تكلفتها الاقتصادية والاجتماعية بالإضافة إلى اقتراح قيمة عادلة لتعرفة التأمين الإجباري وإيجاد سبل للحد من كثرة الحوادث وتخفيض مشكلة الازدحام المروري.

Traffic congestions and car accidents are often viewed as major contemporary issues that Kuwait faces due to their high social and economic costs. Factors that have an influence on this issue is not restricted on the number of cars in roads or drivers` behavior, whereas it extends to include auto-insurance policies due to its direct impact on traffic issues. This project aims at studying the role of auto-insurance policies in limiting traffic congestion resulting from minor car accidents in Kuwait. The approach used looks into the traffic issue in Kuwait from the perspective of third party liability auto-insurance and its role in reducing the number of minor car accidents and traffic congestions resulting from them; simultaneously, finding a fair value for third party liability annual fee. The methodology consists of two scopes: the first is to review the traffic issue and the documentation lifecycle for settling car incidents in Kuwait and in other countries. The second scope is to statistically analyze the financial records of a sample of eight insurance companies in Kuwait for the period (2008-2012). The study`s main results show that the documentation lifecycle for settling minor car accidents in Kuwait is inefficient which requires an implementation of a new, more efficient methodology such as introduction of minor car accidents form or establishment of a private firm specialized in settling car accidents. The results also show that the auto­ insurance sector in Kuwait is in equilibrium, but the third party liability annual fee should be tailored based on factors related to age, driving experience, and personal traffic record of the driver.