Big response to Bahrain's new crash insurance rule

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MANAMA: Bahrain’s traffic authorities have praised the enthusiastic response by citizens and residents to their new move to simplify procedures to deal with minor road accidents.

The General Directorate of Traffic recently introduced a decision to assign mutually resolved minor accidents to insurance companies, with vehicle owners having to report the crash via the eTraffic app. Motorists only have to report to the directorate in case of a dispute over the accident.

Director General of Traffic Brigadier Shaikh Abdulrahman Al Khalifa said yesterday that the directorate continues to supervise insurance companies and follow up on their operations to protect the rights of all parties.

He praised the role of the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) in introducing the new service.

New services have been added to the eTraffic app to simplify the reporting of minor traffic accidents, the iGA announced.

The services, covering accidents between two or more parties, allow for traffic procedures to be directly handled by insurance companies, it said.

Provided in co-operation with the General Directorate of Traffic and Bahrain Insurance Association, the services are in line with a decision by Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa to assign ‘mutually resolved minor accidents’ to insurance companies, and to enhance co-operation between the iGA and public and private entities, it said.

iGA acting chief executive and deputy chief executive of electronic transformation, Dr Zakareya Al Khajah, said that providing online channels for reporting traffic accidents is in line with Bahrain’s vision to implement digital transformation across all services offered by the ministry and its directorates.

The eTraffic app now offers four new services: a ‘Report Traffic Accidents’ function which allows citizens, residents, and visitors from the GCC to alert insurance companies about minor accidents; ‘View Reported Traffic Accidents’ which provides details of all reported accidents; ‘Traffic Accident Acknowledgment’ which allows the driver who caused the accident to admit fault; and ‘Insurance Companies Locator’ which contains information on insurance companies, their locations, and contact details.

To use the new services, parties to a simple traffic accident must report it via the eTraffic mobile app or by filling an online insurance form. Certain requirements must be met.

All parties must mutually agree to report the accident via the eTraffic app or insurance electronic form. There should be no injuries, and if the affected driver reports the accident, then the other driver must admit fault by using the app’s ‘Traffic Accident Acknowledgment’ service or via the National Portal, bahrain.bh.

If the driver at fault is the one reporting the accident, then this will be accepted as an admission of fault. All parties must then head to the insurance company responsible for the vehicle of the driver at fault within 48 hours.

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