Minister Barr: New accident insurance scheme to better protect Canberrans on the road
- Written by ACT Government
Released 20/09/2018
About 600 more Canberrans each year will be entitled to treatment, care and lost wages when they are hurt in a motor vehicle accident under the proposed new Motor Accident Injuries Scheme.
The new scheme will replace Canberra’s existing Compulsory Third Party insurance arrangements. The ACT Government is reforming the scheme because at the moment it doesn’t cover everyone injured in a motor vehicle accident and it can take two years or more to get a full payout.
Despite this, Canberrans pay some of the highest CTP premiums in the country.
The new scheme will cover everyone injured in a motor vehicle accident and will ensure that people involved in an accident don’t have to wait for years to receive their payout.
The Government has released an exposure draft of the Motor Accident Injuries Scheme Bill, which delivers the new approach to accident insurance recommended by the CTP Citizens’ Jury.
Canberra’s current CTP scheme doesn’t protect people as well as it should when they are on the road. For example, if someone is injured because they hit a kangaroo or lose control on an icy patch and run off the road, they can’t make a claim to cover their medical bills and lost income.
Every one of Canberra’s 290,000 drivers has to pay for CTP when they register their vehicle. So we believe everyone should be entitled to proper protection on our roads.
Under the new scheme, everyone who is injured in a motor vehicle accident will be entitled to up to five years of medical treatment, care and lost wages – as long as they’re not breaking the law at the time of the accident.
People who are drink driving or engaged in serious speeding offences at the time of an accident will be excluded because we don’t believe people who do the right thing should pay for those who knowingly put others in danger.
Canberrans who are seriously injured will still be able to pursue damages through the legal system if they need treatment and care long-term, after accessing up to five years of defined benefits.
The design of the new scheme was recommended by the Citizens’ Jury on CTP. The jury was made up of about 50 Canberrans who met several times over six months to hear evidence about how our current CTP scheme works from experts and people with experience of making claims through the scheme.
The jury recommended that Canberra’s CTP scheme be reformed to prioritise early access to treatment and care for everyone who gets injured, and reduce the need for people to go to court to get help and compensation. Their final report and recommendations are available at: https://yoursay.act.gov.au/ctp
The Government will now refer the draft bill to the Justice and Community Safety Committee for further community consultation. The committee will report by the end of October and its input will inform the final bill that is set to be introduced to the Legislative Assembly by the end of 2018.
- Statement ends -
Section: Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases
