In the event of an accident: Who pays and how much does a traffic light, post or stop disc cost?

If during a traffic accident, some signs are sometimes left in poor condition because of the driver, who must bear the cost.

Traffic accidents have unfortunately become commonplace on the streets. Every day we see on the news that there has been an accident or rollover and several times the signage which helps the smooth circulation of vehicles, whether it’s a traffic light, a street lamp or a stop disc.

In order for everything to return to normal, the municipalities carry out the respective repairs, often envisaged in the tender contracts, which include the maintenance and repair of these elements.

Of course, the cost of repairs has to be paid for by someone and this can become an additional headache for the drivers responsible for these accidents. If car damage is already an issue (and hopefully no injuries), the costs can increase significantly if you don’t have auto insurance that covers third-party damage.

A Red system bus entered a passageway, hit six vehicles and two of them ended up plunging into a garden on rue Oscar Bonilla in the town of Pudahuel.  Photo: Diego Martin / Agence One.

But how much does it cost to repair these elements. To know this data, from the Municipality of Ñuñoa They gave us numbers.

THE traffic light , for example, are those with the highest costs. Since installation at a new intersection, the cost is almost 97 million dollars . However, “the controller of a traffic light, which is a cabinet generally located in the same corners where the traffic lights intersect, has an approximate value of $8 million” clarify with the municipality, adding that “A traffic light pole has a cost of $350,000 installed.”

Regarding who bears the costs, they specify that “the traffic light contract that the municipality maintains is for all events, that is to say that the company replaces all the elements in the event of accidents, without prejudice, the company can sue the person who causes the demolition”.

About traffic lights, nuñoa They point out that “they have contracts similar to traffic lights, where the company replaces the signals that are registered, at no additional cost to the municipality”.

From now on, when the Public Prosecutor’s Office or the Local Police Court consults the values ​​of demolished elements, the Traffic Department automatically responds with the following values ​​for the most common signs: Stop Disc $83,895, Give Way $96,166, Children Playing Sign $94,262 and School Zone Sign $94,262.

lighting poles

Traffic lights and traffic lights are the responsibility of the various municipalities, but the lighting poles are the responsibility of the General Electricity Company (CGE), a company that recognizes the serious problem they face every year with the destruction of these fundamental elements. for the safety.

As they pointed out to us at the CGE, “The total cost of a pole damaged or destroyed by a traffic accident is approximately $3.5 million. This involves the damaged pole, cables, transformers and equipment supported on it, and the cost of the brigade that must work to replace it.

Lampposts fall due to an earthquake in Viña del Mar. 08/01/2019
Lighting poles down.

The frequency of accidents with damaged poles is high and very worrying, indeed, “it is a very relevant issue for the CGE. Only in the first quarter of this year there were more than 900 accidents with the destruction of electrical infrastructure in its concession area, which goes from the regions of Arica and Parinacota to La Araucanía, while in 2022 they exceeded 3,000 . On average, we have about 12 crushed poles per day. Between January and March of this year, 650,000 CGE customers suffered power cuts for this reason.

Regarding the responsibilities, on the part of the company, they specify that “in the event that an insured vehicle is involved in a traffic accident with damage to third parties, the insurance is the one who must pay said damage ; In the event that the insurance policy does not cover these damages to third parties, a complaint for contravention must be filed against the driver and a civil lawsuit jointly against the owner and the driver to recover these damages.

Finally, with regard to the legal procedure, it takes place in the Local Police Courts where the complaint for offense and the civil action are filed.

“We have to keep in mind that on many occasions we discover there is compromised insurance once we have notified the loss, in which case the process continues with the insurer’s lawyer,” they say of the CGE.

To be continued in MTOnline

Source: Latercera

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