Insuring Commercial Vehicles
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THE news that insurance rates for private cars will be subject to large increases from January 1 in cases where the vehicles are garaged in the Metropolitan and other congested areas has turned the attention of commercialvehicle operators to this important matter.
From inquiries we have made, we gather, however, that there is no immediate intention to increase premiums on business vehicles, and we trust that this course will be continued, for our industry has already suffered from shock after shock, against which it is struggling hard to survive.
Insurance in connection with a goods or passenger vehicle is a serious and, often, heavy item, for both the vehicle and its load, whether the latter be merchandise, cattle or human beings, must be covered.
Actually, it should be the aim of the associations representing carriers and other operators to defend by attack, for there are many reasons why reductions instead of the same or increased insurance rates should be made. Owing to its strength of construction, a commercial vehicle usually suffers less in case of accident than a lighter vehicle, whilst it may be claimed with truth that a driver who is on the road for the greater part of his working day is more likely to become .expert than a man who drives a car for a comparatively short time. In addition, there is now in force the system of vehicle inspection arranged by the Ministry of Transport ; consequently, the general condition of both light and heavy vehicles is rapidly improving, and there will be a steady tendency for this to continue, whilst owing to the restriction on driving hours many vehicles will spend less time on the road and more in the garage, so that maintenance and repairs can receive greater attention.
Consideration is also being paid to the question of the reduction of fire risks both in respect of the vehicle and its contents. Many of the bodies for commercial vehicles are partially or wholly built of metal, and less use is made of inflammable materials in other directions; the advent of the oil engine has again raised the factor of safety in thousands of cases.