Insurance and the cost of road accidents

Frank Portelli (October 29) proposed that insurance companies should pay for the treatment of persons injured in road accidents. Although, at face value, this appears to be a reasonable proposal, it does not hold out to further critical analysis. It is obvious that if insurance firms are made to pay for these medical costs they will automatically increase premiums to cover this extra outlay. Thus, all that would happen is that the cost would be borne by car owners rather than taxpayers while insurers can make some extra money in the process. Is this ideal?

Furthermore, insurers only pay for costs where there is blame. Thus, if a driver injures himself in an accident where there are no other parties to blame, the cost of his treatment will not in any case be covered by insurance.