1931-01-14 — Page 2

THE NEW INSURANCE ACT.

UNJUST CLAIMS AND HOW TO MEET THEM.

Most of the fog surrounding the operation of Part 2 of the Road

land;

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1931.

MOTOR NOTES.

L

record is bad he may have to pay an increased premium. There may where difficulty will be experienced in finding a company to undertake the risk. We imagine that these vory small cases will form minority. The question of dealing with them, however, is one that stiff has to be settled, and it is possible that legislation arising out of Mr. Remers Bill of Amendment will place the decision in other hands than those of the insurance com panies.

Trams Act, 1930 (Compulsory Third that any motorist who lends his ear Parly insurance) has uldared away, to another person should satisfy and it is now possible to give par- Ligulars of the procedure to be fol-himself that that person is insuredbe a fow exceptionally bad enacs lowed by private motorists in Engagainst third-party risks, as it is an offence under the Act to cause With regard to the issue of dupli- or permit any other persoon to use In motor vehicle on the road unless cate certificates in cases where the policy permits the insured to drive such an insurance is in force.

Uninsured motorists should take any car other than his own, the procedure of the companies is not immediate steps to obtain a policy uniform. In some cases a duplicate covering at least the minimum in will be supplied without applica-surance required by the Act, name: ly "any liability which may be in tion and in others only if required. curred by him in respect of the

Production of Certificate,

denth of or bodily injury to any Under Section 10 of the Act ewry person caused by or arising out of motorist is required to produce his. the use of the vehicle on the road." insurance oertificate to a policeSuch a policy can be obtained from constable on demand, but he willany approved insurance company at not be liable to conviction for a low premium. It covers the rink failure to do so provided he pro- of bodily injury only, and not duces it at a apocified-police station damage to property of third par- within five days. If, therefore, aties. Such a policy will appeal to motorist is in the habit of driving motorists of limited means, but another car whilst his own is also others will no doubt prefer to pay higher premium for a compre .in use, it would appear to be advis

able, although not absolutely essen-hensive epolicy covering loss of or tial to have a duplicate certificate damage to the insured vehicle, and leave one with the car for the cluding fire and theft as well as use of the driver at the time, al full third-party risks. though in nost ess the other driver will be insured under a policy of his own. It is essential

The uninsured motorist will have no difficulty in obtaining the cover required by the Act, but if his past

HIRE A CAR TO DRIVE YOURSELF

WHEN ON LEAVE·

Or if you require a car for more than 8 weeks, we will supply any make new or used, with guaranteed repurchase price.

Write for Tariff.

L. F. DOVE, Ltd. Automobile Engineers,

115, Addiscombe Road,

CROYDON,

LONDON.

MICHELIN

THE NON-SKIDDING TYRE.

MICHELIN

Q

Tel. 22221.

Tel 24821.

Distributora:

There are COM-

KINGS OF THE SPEEDWAY TALK OF

THEIR EXPERIENCES,

THE MECHANIC WHO FILLED WITH AN

· IMAGINARY CAN.

GEORGE DULLER RINGS FOR SOAP AND TOWEL: HOTEL

ATTENDANT BRINGS COFFEE AND ORANGEI

Now that there is nothing else to do but talk, and the cold weather is really on us, it follows that wherover racing drivers congregate the evening develops into a series of tales and reminis cenees such as every sport produces, but uone better than motor racing.

intense gloom on the proceedings, the drivers who were on duty while

THE LIGHTER SIDE.

"You've done a mile in thirty seconds," said the policeman, as ht got out his notebook and "ponoil.

What's your name?"

"Eleen Drusilla Eulalie Beryl. Alethea Jolliffe," replied the sweet; young thing,

The policeman slowly shut hig book and returned it to his hip.

it lasted having a perfectly hair J pocket. raising time; while, of course, the i "Well, you can go, but mind you Colonel, in the electrical timing lax, don't do it again."

A rich motorist was sued in the courts for knocking down and injur- ing a pedestrian. When the case'

oo, the motorist gave his came evidence and immediately left the court, instructing his counsel to wire him the result."

Late that evening he received a telegram from the counsel which simply said, "Right has triumph- ed,

The motorist wired back to his legni friend, "Appeal at once."

eould only hear the sound of the machine's engine as it went round. After that experience two drivers, at least, thought that by far the best ides in fog was to stop the par at the depot, ran the engine grada. ally faster and faster, then slower and slower to imitate the sound of the car going round the track, while an enthusiast with a stopwatch jumped on the timing tube exactly as the car had it been running was due to have crossed that tube,

On quito a recent occasion, Mrs. Stewart was going for a very fast record on Montihery with the Miller, during which process she experienced for the first time that extremely unpleasant businbeit ed "throwing a tread." Albeit, she managed, by strenuous effort. to avoid any disaster, and conse

It's no good making excusee on the pit counter, and remarked:quently came into the depot feeling

rather pleased with herself, as because you haven't even a lamp to his amazed French team chief everyhody does after such an ex-bracket," said the policeman, that the bolt had suddenly fallen parience. All she got in the way of & reception from Douglas Hawkes out of the engine,

was the cold remark: "You really. must be more careful. There was lot of wear left in that tyre!"

Of course, we cannot compete with His Majesty's Navy in. the matter of tales, for no one, unfortunately, can get into the beautiful "condition of the N.O. who celebrated his appointment to a ship so well at the Coat Ch that in the morning he could not romember whether he was due to join .M.S. Liverpool at Chatham, or H.M.S. Chatham at Liverpool. However, in our little way we do our best, and impugh some of the reminiscences aro old, they may be worth repeating.

It was a dark night and the con stable pulled up the driver of the 1017y. Where's your rear light

The driver got and went to the back of the vehicle and looked a bit puzzled,

:

I wasn't going to make ex- cuses," replied the driver, scratch-

his head.

Then, what d'yer mean 1" "What's puzzlin' me," said the motor-man, is where's the durned. trailer **

•

to-day?" ing, your lordship, how are you

It was after dark and a most Friend: "And what did he say "charming damsel drove up to the Motorist: "Fine."

amart garage. "I want some reď oil, please," she said to the boy in overalls.

.

Dear Old Lady: "Don't you think you drive awfully fast!

Young Blood: "Just a bit. I touched sixty last Sunday going to Brighton.

"Red oil" queried the boy, dumbfounded.

Insurance Does Not Remove Per-

sonal Responsibility. « There are one or two points that it may be useful to mention at the present time. Motorists should not assume that compulsory third-party insurance relieves them of all re sponsibility in connection with nc- cidents that occur on or after January 1, 1931. ditions attaching to every motor in- in-aurance policy, and the policy, to- gether with the proposal form, is a contact between the insurance com-

There is, for instance, George pany and the insured. The new het compola insurance companies to Duller, and wherever George is onses stories subsequently arise. Years' provide compensation in where third parties are killed or ago at Le Mans George's French injured owing to the negligence of was extremely limited, but he claim-

In English racing there was onco the policy holder, and they musted great histrionic ability in the Now George do so even though the insured has matter of gesture.

a man who turned his head lamps broken certain conditions of the one day had a bath, and discovered policy. We would, however, em rather late in the proceedings that back to front for a race at Brook- phasize the fact that in such cases there was neither soap nor a towel. lands, started home without chang- at dusk, the insurance company will have Repeated applications of the bell- the right to proceed against the in-push eventually brought an intelli.ing them, switched on sured for the recovery of any sums gent servitor, before whom George dazzled himself to blazes, and was paid out in such circumstances. It expressed his desires in a careful the ditch before he could imagine in therefore as important as ever it pantomime of wonderful complexity. what had happened; and there was the capital case of John Cobb, who was that the policy holder should At first the servitor seemed con examine his policy and comply siderably dazed, but after five is very big indeed, and who got into which perioda Riley speed model with the hood during strictly with its terms and con- minutes, ditions.

George went through the more com up during practice at starting for plicated evolutions of Swedish drill the Tourist Trophy, and then could in an endeavour to command soap not, by any means, be got out again, so that it looked as though the car and towel, the man brightened up,

"Do motor care make us lazy pr went away, and returned with coffee would have to be taken to plecss

to extract the driver. On another They were touring in Scotland queried the medical lecturer on the and an orange.

occasion John was busy changing aand had properly lost themselves.platform. wheel against time, and got his paw After a while they came to the out- In between the spokes to put one skirts of a town and there they

spied a youngster, for every sentence, for, when he and of the nuts back on its stud. I went down to the railway station this point there was at Le Mans at a.m. on a perfectly pause while the team chief, watch- horrible morning to

meet Mra. ing the second hand of a stop George and Lady Segrave, we took watch, said pithy things about the with us the only bus available, time the operation was taking, and because we knew there would be only then did it appear that John heaps of luggage and we did not had got his hand between the want to have to drag it all the way spokes all right but could not get to the hotel The train arrived out again; and for some time it. late; there was indeed plenty, of looked as though he were doomed baggage, and George, by way of to wear a Riley detachable wheel being helpful, took hold of two very ng a sart of bracelet. small attaché cases, walked out to the station yard, put them in the bus, then said to the coachman cheerfully, Allez somie mare," whereupon the coachman instantly drove aff to the St. Maur hotel leaving us entirely stranded and causing George to he phenomenally unoopular for nearly a week.

A. GOEKE & Co. Tel. 22221. China Building, 4th Floor.

DEPOT FIAT GARAGE :

07, Des Voeux Road Central. Tel. 24821.

We give free tyre service to Michelin owners

at our Depote,

Neither has the now Act altered the low as to negligence. Oom pulsory insurance applies only to Tegal liability to third parties, and motorists who are involved in an ae cident should not assume that the insurance company will have to pay regardless of the circumstances. In cases where the insured motorist is clearly not responsible for the necident it is only fair that he should take all possible steps to assist the insurance company in re sisting any claim that may be made by the third party.

George's subsequent trouble was due to the unfortunate use of the verb "aller" as a commencement

It is a fact that many unjust and and frivolous claims are made against motorists, and injured per- sons, particularly, of the poorer classes are induced to take action by a low type of solicitor who makes his living out of motor accidents. These parasites obtain their in formation from local newspapers or by means of touts operating out- aide big hospitals, and they get permission to act for the injured party by agreeing to share with him any amount they contrive to extort from the insurance company. Un fortunately, in the majority of these

Then there was the great occasion cars the insurance company is com pelled to pay because the motorist when Dr. Benjañeld announced that has failed to obtain the evidence of every driver ought to have exercise, nad said that he, personally, would any witness of the accident, whereas

walk round the Le Mans circuit. It the professional claim bringer al- ways seems to be bountifully sup-as a blazing hot day, and while we settled down in the Café de plied with witnesses. With the knowledge that every motorist is Hippodrome, Benjy set off quite After half an hour a man insured we can assume that the well. number of these gentry will in-came in with a car and said that crease rather than diminish, and Benjy had reached Arnage and was An hour and a for the same reason compensation looking very hot. awarded to injured persons will half after that he was reported near the grandstand boiling vigorously, probably be on a figher scale.

and three hours after the start he returned to us in an exhausted con dition and a lorry, so exercise was not appreciably encouraged

The Importance of Witnesses, Injured parties themselves may also get the impression that the new Act provides ample compensation for them regardless of any question We of negligence on their park. contand that the majority of acci- dents resulting in death or injury to pedestrians are due to the angli gence or carelessness of the pedes trian, and it is grossly unfair that in such cases the motorist or the insurance company on his behalf should be compelled to provide com pensation through, the lack of wit nesses for the motorist.

|

AL

a horrible

"Shadow" Filling.

Concerning pit practice, I was once busily engaged with Zborowski endeavouring to clip a little time off a practice refill and wheel change, and the thing went extremely well until both of us, in a state of col- lapse, from our efforts, got back into the car, at which point it became painfully apparent that I had for- gotten to remove the jack after changing the wheel

In another

ease a foam industriously practised filling up, but in order to avoid too much mess, did a lot of their prac

ice by going through the actions without actually picking up the eans They did extremely well, but when in the race one of the cars stopped at the pit, the unfortunate mechanic, still in that blurry state that everybody is in after a run, got out, unclipped and raised the radiator filler cap, went through the movements of pouring imaginary water from an imaginary can, closed the filler, opened the oil filler and was doing the same thing with that, when the team chief, who bad bech verging on apoplexy, recovered his voice.

Lost Count of Time. Later on, in one of the actual races, there was the charming inci-

On yet another occasion a parti. dent when a certain driver, having completed two of the three hours cularly good crew pulled into the which in those days constituted one pits during a race and performed spell, lost all gount of time, became one of the quickest wheel changes bored, stopped, at the pit, loudly on record save that they put back asked W. O. Bentley and the pits the wheel with the punctured tyre in general: "Is it time to come in and put the new wheel back on the yet chaps" then shot away im-countor; and in the last Tourist something extremely Trophy I made frantic efforts to The elimination or reduction of pelled by

onch the filler of the fuel tank, frivolous or unjust elnim shuld original and powerful in the way materially assist toward, reducing of criticism. Another driver, who although that filler had already been had plug trouble with an air-cooled opened by Caput" before we insurance premiums. It is too ear ly to say what effect the new Act car, removed the easing, which con- stopped.

trols the air draught, to get at the will have on premiums. Additional burdens have undoubtedly been laid lug, forgot to put the easing back on insurance companita, but ad- again, seized up the engine good ditional premiums should com- and hard, and then walked back to pensate for this. We feel; however, the pit trying to think of an origion that the shortest road to a reduc-excuse.. On the way back he pick- tion of premiums is by the co-opera ed up an enormous cast-iron bolted him what the revs. had been, tion of motorists themselves with from some antediluvian piece of

machinery, the which he deposited earth had happened, and it was the insurance companies.

INDIA SUPER

THE RED

RING IS YOU

GUARANTEE.

TIRES

R. LOXLEY & CO., AGENTS HONG KONG.

Speeding on Third,

There is also a beautiful tale of a new driver in practice who did what gegpied to he a slow lop, and then came in. The foam chief ask

and receiving the answer 5,200, became very worried as to what on

quite a long time before anyone. found out that the driver hnd dons' that Inp on third and not on top.

In record work some quite quaint thinge have happened also. Once upon a time, I helioya during some speed trials at Nice, a motor cycle. and sidocar disintegrated just be- fore the finishing line, crossing that ling in the following order- Passenger standing on his head." 2. The sidecar, unside down. 3. The motor cycle, with the engine run- ping4: The rider of the moter evole, considerably the worse for And wonderful argument as to when the time-keeper should have taken, the time, and who, in fact the comubtitor could be said to have

crossed the lingue

Daring onJone distance record at Brooklande, a thick log cast an

Dear Old Lady And didn't you kill any "

*

"I say, little man," called the passenger sitting behind the driver, what's the name of this town!" "Give me saxpence and I'll tell ye," said the boy.

"Thanks, little 'un." rried the passenger, cheerily, "it's Aberdeen ahead, driver."

The

"Yes, red oil; and do please be quick becauso my rear lamp has gone out,"

"Not if we are pedestrians,” cried a man in the audience who know.

Motorist: "I thought you said that if I were polite to the magis trate he would let me off."

Friend: "Well, didn't be Motorist: "No. When the old chap sat down I said, "Good mora (Continued on previous column.)

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