The government approved amendments allowing minor accidents to be handled without traffic police, but only if several conditions are met. No more than two cars are involved, only property is damaged, and the drivers have no disputes. However, insurers and lawyers warn the new system may still fail. The payment process is not fully worked out, and an error in the documents or accident diagram can lead to denial of compensation. Also, not everyone can use the simplified procedure. It applies only to policies bought from March 1.

The government of the country has approved amendments to the traffic rules, under which drivers who have insured their civil liability may handle minor accidents without the participation of traffic police inspectors.
However, the amendment will work only if no more than two vehicles are involved in the accident, damage has been caused only to property, and there are no disagreements between the participants in the accident. The amount of the insurance payout in this case may not exceed 25,000 rubles. However, experts still advise drivers not to rush to use the new provision.
Representatives of the insurance companies themselves also urge people to use the old procedure in the event of an accident. According to insurers, the settlement mechanism has not yet been established and a unified algorithm for assessing damage has not been developed.
Lawyers also support the insurers. They warn of possible difficulties that may arise when handling an accident independently. The insurance company may refuse to pay if the documents are filled out incorrectly, or pay less if the car owner cannot adequately assess the extent and nature of the vehicle damage. In addition, not everyone will be able to take advantage of the new provision yet.
At present, only a few can use the new rules; they apply only to policies purchased from March 1. The chance that both drivers have policies issued in March is small.
Also, if one of them admits fault and both sides interpret what happened in the same way, there is no need to wait for traffic police officers. And in the event of a refusal to pay because of some inaccuracies in the paperwork, one must go to court.
It is essential to know one document that guarantees insurance payouts. In our country, it is now possible to handle accidents independently. But if your accident diagram does not match the insurer’s diagram, you will not receive any money.
There are 74 diagrams of minor accidents. The very ones that can be registered independently starting March 1. After making your own accident diagram, you can apply to the insurance company for compensation. But if your diagram does not match any in this list, you will not receive any money.
Viktor Grigorov, head of the Regional Road Association: "The point is that not all of us are artists, and not everyone professionally draws up a road accident diagram. An ordinary person may indicate the vehicle in a completely different way than the insurance company suggests, or than a traffic police officer is required to indicate when preparing administrative materials regarding the accident".
Insurance companies have had these diagrams for a whole month already, but they have not yet had to use them. After all, most Irkutsk insurers have not yet had a single driver bring in a self-drawn accident diagram. Specialists believe the first such accident participants will appear in at least a month.