in light of the new Road Traffic Accident Investigation Policy

More needs to be done to clamp down on the scourge of uninsured drivers on the island’s roads.
This strong belief comes from Chief Executive Officer of Co-Operators General Insurance, Anton Lovell, as he spoke during this week’s unveiling of a new Road Traffic Accident Investigation Policy, which will see police officers only responding to serious accidents, while insurance agents will take charge of minor ones.
Lovell said while the new policy is welcomed, the high rate of uninsured drivers still being seen on the roads remained a grave concern.
He said, “I would like to encourage the Commissioner of Police, the Licensing Authority and so on to move quickly now to arrest this situation because it will cause problems with this new initiative,” Lovell said. “Further, going beyond the uninsured motorists, even where there are serious accidents [or not], we would like when police officers come upon these uninsured motorists that these vehicles be towed away and impounded.”
He added, “We have to get to that stage. If that does not occur, people will move their uninsured vehicles, and cause further accidents up the street or wherever they go.”

What is the new policy regarding The Barbados Police Service’s (TBPS) handling of road traffic collisions?

TBPS will attend road traffic collisions only where there is:

• A fatality;
• Serious injury;
• A situation where there is a likely breach of the peace or acts of suspected criminality;A mass casualty traffic event; and
• A pedestrian-involved accident.

TBPS will also go to the scene of an accident if the free flow of traffic has been severely interrupted or where there is a road safety issue.

What is a serious injury?

A serious injury is one where a person requires hospitalisation; or has any of the following injuries (whether or not the person is detained in hospital) – fractures, concussion, internal injuries, crushing, severe cuts and lacerations, as well as severe general shock requiring treatment.

Why is the policy being introduced?

The management of The Barbados Police Service has recognised that a tremendous number of man-hours are expended on the response to accidents that do not involve serious injuries or road fatalities. There will be a more efficient use of police resources by not attending incidents that do not require a police presence.

When will the policy take effect?

The policy will take effect on Sunday, September 15, 2024.

Is this policy in place in other countries?

It is followed in many countries, including:

• United States of America
• United Kingdom, and
• Canada, to a lesser extent.

What should a person who is involved in an accident do?

It is the duty of the parties to stop and exchange information.

What action does The Barbados Police Service take once a motorist reports an accident to 211?

When the report is made and there is no fatal or serious injury, specific information will be taken to determine whether the presence of a police officer is needed at the scene.

The information includes:

• Is the traffic flow interrupted?
• Did a driver leave the scene without exchanging the required information?
• Is a pedestrian involved?
• Is it a mass casualty accident?
• Is there likely to be a breach of the peace or an act of suspected criminality? 

If it is determined that a police officer is not needed, the person reporting the accident will be informed and advised to contact his or her insurance company.

Where the presence of the police is deemed necessary, police officers will be deployed.

If a motorist feels pain a few days after the accident, what should he/she do?

Motorists should seek medical attention and contact their insurance company.

Have the insurance companies’ accident investigators been trained for this change?

Responders from the insurance companies have been trained by The Barbados Police Service at the Regional Police Training Centre. These courses have been specifically structured so that the insurance companies’ investigators can gather the required information to facilitate any future civil action.

What if the other party does not have insurance?

An investigation will be conducted and if that is proven, the necessary court process may be instituted to deal with the defaulting parties.

What if the other driver leaves the scene before the insurance representative arrives?

• The person has 24 hours to report an accident to the police. He/she should also report the accident to the insurance representative. If that person leaves the scene of an accident without complying with the law, he/she may be prosecuted.  
• Additionally, it is suggested that all persons involved in vehicular accidents should, wherever possible, use their cellular phones to record the scene.

How will this new policy benefit The Barbados Police Service?

• The new policy will allow for the more efficient use of police resources and facilitate timely responses to other calls for service and enforcing the law.
• The implementation of this new initiative will allow The Barbados Police Service to reduce the response time to emergency and critical situations.

A new Road Traffic Accident Investigation Policy will come into effect on Sunday, September 15, which will see members of The Barbados Police Service (TBPS) mainly responding to fatalities and serious injuries.

In addition, police officers will attend road traffic collisions if a pedestrian is involved; there is a mass casualty traffic event; and a situation where there is a likely breach of the peace or acts of suspected criminality. They will also go to the scene of an accident if the free flow of traffic has been severely interrupted or where there is a road safety issue.

This announcement was made today during a press conference to discuss the new policy, at the Henry Forde and David Simmons Legal and Judicial Complex, Coleridge Street, Bridgetown.

Those participating in the conference were Attorney General Dale Marshall; Commissioner of Police Richard Boyce; TBPS’ Communications & Public Affairs Officer, Inspector Rodney Inniss; President of the General Insurance Association of Barbados (GIAB), Randy Graham; and Insurance Executive Anton Lovell.

Inspector Inniss underscored the importance of this new initiative, explaining that serious injuries and fatalities would continue to be investigated by the police, while the insurance industry officials have agreed to attend the non-injury accidents.

The Communications & Public Affairs Officer stated: “We in The Barbados Police Service have recognised the overwhelming number of road traffic accidents we have serviced, particularly in the last decade or so….

“On average, about 7,500 accidents are investigated annually. Of those 7,500, a large percentage, 71 per cent on average, are just damage only accidents, what you would normally call fender benders, no injuries whatsoever.”

Attorney General Marshall said he supported the new initiative which the police would be embarking on, especially since officials were trying to address the manpower needs of the service.  

He noted that thousands of hours were spent yearly attending or investigating traffic accidents.

“Now, you may say that is an important part of public service, it certainly is. But in a situation where we are dealing with a deficit in terms of the boots we have on the ground, we need to see how we can more efficiently utilise police resources so that they can dedicate their time dealing with the more serious offenses, and immediately, of course, guns and homicides, burglaries, those kinds of things will come to mind.

“So, this is a proposition from the police service that I, as AG, support. I’m happy to say that the insurance industry supports it. And my mission here, really, is to ask Barbados to walk with us through this. It represents a complete transformation from what we are accustomed to, but it is a transformation that I think is in the best interest of this society,” Mr. Marshall said.

GIAB’s President, Randy Graham, said the insurance industry is in full support of the new policy.

“The country has to make a difficult decision, and the best decision is to use those resources towards more serious issues….  We’ve seen very high quality work by the police in coming to this decision, and that’s why we are in full support of the decision. It’s not one that was taken lightly….

“The insurance companies pay out between $85 and $90 million to clients for vehicular accidents every year. Ninety per cent of those accidents do not require a police report; 90 per cent of those accident [claims] are paid…within a few weeks, without any intervention necessary by the police, because the accident is determined between the statements from the two drivers…. Many times the police are at the scene and they take measurements and a report, that are not required,” Mr. Graham pointed out. 

The officials noted that responders from the insurance companies had undergone training by The Barbados Police Service, which was structured to help investigators from the insurance companies gather the required information to facilitate any future civil action. (PR/GIS)