New collision reporting system kicks in next week

Following a  year of on-off-on-off hiccups, Panama's new minor accident reporting system is scheduled to start it’s second phase  Saturday, June 3.

After that police officers will start issuing tickets to drivers involved in minor accidents who fail to move their vehicles out of the way of traffic. No word yet on where to move them in streets where both sides of the road are blocked by illegally parked vehicles. {jathumbnail off}

 The new system e is the second phase of Act 21, the law which changed the procedure for accidents where there are no injuries.

The first phase requiring all drivers to carry forms, to be completed in the event of a minor collision.

From June 3, drivers who fail to move their vehicles face a $50 fine.

 The new law is designed to reduce police involvement in minor accidents and to ease traffic flow.

Under the news system drivers will exchange forms and allow the insurance companies to compensate the parties involved, but first the motorists have to agree who was at fault. Otherwise it’s back to calling a traffic cop.

Other jurisdictions have solved the problem by creating no-fault insurance systems.

If you are still confused, stand by for an explanation  on how it all works from insurance broker Kevin Bradley, of Ducruet Insurance.

It will be published in Newsroom later in the week.