Vehicle Insurance Companies Under Fire
The countries largest vehicle insurer of legally and specially modified vehicles has joined in the current argument over car insurance for motorists with disabilities.
Gerry Buckle, director for Adrian Flux car insurance outlined its own company’s dismay that some insurance companies were simply refusing to offer vehicle insurance to people with cars modified to take wheelchairs. He also outlined how appalling it was that despite the fact these motorists, according to their experience, were extremely good risks, they could not even get some companies to offer quotes from the outset.
This puts an extremely frustrating edge on equality and requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) where such actions are deemed unfair and unacceptable. Whilst many companies and organisations attempt to accommodate requirements under the DDA there is clearly an issue with some areas of business including high profile requirements such as vehicle insurance. Recent reports show that changes to the DDA made in 2004 still require attention and this clear discrimination against disabled drivers by top insurance companies shows that even the most high profile of organisations are simply flaunting their responsibilities.
Wheelchair users and carers who transport wheelchairs and disabled people are, in the minds of many sensible people ideal candidates for role model safe drivers and the discrimination they are suffering from the many vehicle insurance companies turning their backs on them leaves a bitter taste in the mouth of many. It seems Britain still has a lot of lessons to learn in becoming world leaders in equality.
