The state is eyeing a gradual rise in the excise duty on cars running on fuel and also introducing an annual wealth tax for car owners depending on the engine capacity. FILE PHOTO | POOL
The decision by insurance companies to cancel covers for motorists who have done modifications that might compromise safety is understandable.
What first started as harmless modifications such as adjustments to vehicle bodies to make their appearance sporty has morphed into dangerous suspension and engine tweaks that not only put the lives of motorists at risk.
In a country where thousands of lives are lost through road accidents every year, the decision by insurance companies to cancel covers for motorists who have done modifications that might compromise safety is understandable.
What first started as harmless modifications such as adjustments to vehicle bodies to make their appearance sporty has morphed into dangerous suspension and engine tweaks that not only put the lives of motorists at risk, but also those of other road users.
The latest fad is the conversion of engines to run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), which is cheaper than petrol and diesel, but is not backed by years of studies on its safety.
The National Transport and Safety Authority earlier appeared to have endorsed the trend when it ruled out the risk of fire in the LPG fired vehicles. However, the insurers are keen on stop the trend with the cover decision that effectively keeps such motorists out of the road.
Modified cars, mostly driven by thrill-seeking young motorists, have robbed many households across Kenya of their loved ones and the country crucial economic manpower.
Reports of grisly accidents caused by such reckless drivers have become a regular feature in the news bulletins. This latest decision by insurers should hopefully bring back some sanity to our roads.
But even as the insurers move to implement the decision that should also cut their exposure, they need to issue clear guidelines on what is acceptable in terms of modifications because not all drivers are out to achieve adrenaline-raising speeds.
Motorists have largely had to rely on experiences of others, but still a lot of grey areas exist. Thousands have had their claims rejected over modifications that were not explicitly indicated as grounds for voiding policy.
Such cases signal a lack of full disclosure and only serve to reinforce the distrust that the general public has towards insurance companies. This would not be the case if the industry stopped relying on the fine print in policy documents and issued clear guidelines.
Educating the public on the dangers of the modifications would also be help avert potential accidents, saving lives and cash for the firms.
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