Driving in Developing Countries

Pitter

Pitter
Contributor
:
2020 CX-5 Signature Azul Metalico
Well in the two years or so I've had my CX-5 I haven't had any accidents with other cars but I've now been to the Mazda collision center three times. One incident was my fault. I was on a very narrow stretch of dirt road when suddenly I was confronted with a very big truck coming my way. As he got closer i kept pulling over to the right little by little not wanting to scratch the car with all the shrubbery that lined the road. As I inched forward the truck driver held up his hand telling me to stop. It turned out there was a cement culvert that was I was so close to I hadn't seen it...and I had inched into it creasing the front bumper. I backed up to a wider point where he could pass and didn't realize I had damage until hours later. Ok so into the shop the car went for a new bumper as Mazda said they couldn't repair the crease. Expensive of course.

Two weeks later I'm driving along in the left lane of a four lane when a damn moto (motorcycle) decides to pass me by going between me and a car next to me in the right lane. They do this all the time only this time he calculated wrong and whacked my new front bumper I assume with his foot peg knocking it loose and damaging the rubber molding as well. He wobbled but didn't go down and of course kept on going. They always do. I was relieved though because had he gone down it would have been along afternoon with the transit police. Any way of course they don't stop because they don't want to pay for the damage. All cars and motos are required to buy government subsidized basic liability insurance but it only covers human injury not any vehicle damage. Half the time motos evade that law and risk having their vehicle impounded if they are caught in a police stop and can't show insurance coverage. If you are hit by a moto you can absolutely forget about them paying for the damage as there's no way to make them pay and they always run if they can. People with newer cars like myself also carry a private insurance plan that does cover vehicle damage but just like in the US if you use it your rate goes up. Fun.
 
The private full coverage plans are expensive, $1000 US for a year. The options though are impressive with some probably not offered in the US. For example if you are in an accident you call the insurence company right away they will send a lawyer to the scene of the accident to negotiate with the other driver and the transit police if necessary. When I first started driving in Cali I made an illegal left turn unknowingly and it happened that a moto was passing me on the left at that moment. He went down and was scraped up so we took him to the hospital. The lawyer came to the hospital right away and negotiated a payment with him of about $40 US for damage to his bike following which we all went to a notary where she drew up a paper that he signed releiving me of any furthur responsibility. His treatment at the hospital was covered by the required government policy. One reason private insurence is so expensive is that it covers loss in the case of theft which is common. With my insurence company when purchasing insurence for a new car they will replace a stolen or terminaly damaged vehicle with a brand new one exactly like the original for up to two years.They covered the full cost of towing which was an ordeal of seven hours round trip for the towing company when my battery went bad out in the boonies. There are other things like opening the car if you've left the key inside etc. I think you get what you pay for but everything related to cars is probably more expensive than in the US. and used car prices are ridiculous,they'll ask almost new car price for a five year old vehicle.
 
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