The "bonus-malus" system for mandatory Motor Third Party Liability insurance, introduced on August 25, is failing to act as a deterrent for driver behavior on the road. The Institute for Road Safety points out that the reason for this is that the key Unified Information System for risk assessment, management, and control is not expected to be built for another 18 months.
Experts from the institute emphasize that the purpose of a genuine "bonus-malus" system is not to increase financial revenue for insurance companies, but to make them stakeholders in road safety. According to them, instead of being used as a tool for prevention and risk management—one that influences behavior, violations, and risks before accidents occur—insurers are being handed a mechanism for more precise pricing of their own underwriting risk.
The Institute for Road Safety insists that the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) provide clarity on the following questions:
- What is the real financial benefit for the safe driver?
- What is the real financial consequence for the habitual offender?
The organization warns that without these answers, the model will not fulfill its role as a preventive system but will instead become a tool that exclusively benefits insurers.
According to information from the FSC, "bonus-malus" is based on the history of damages caused by each motorist over the past five years. The data is verified centrally by the Guarantee Fund. This approach ensures that insurers have access to complete and accurate information, regardless of which company the driver was insured with previously, which allows for a more adequate assessment of the risk assumed when concluding Motor Third Party Liability insurance.