Muslim ladies in Zanzibar have had no need of woman car insurance since a new police ban has made it impossible for them to drive.
In an effort to curb the island’s high accident rate – more than 600 crashes were recorded last year alone - Zanzibar police have forbidden motorists wearing veils. But as the Muslim faith insists that women do wear them, the ban is making it impossible for 95 percent of the island’s female population to get behind the wheel.
“We have to reduce the causes [of these accidents]”, said police commander Ramadhan Khatib. “Veils have the ability to obstruct the sight of the driver and we will not allow them”.
He has come under fire from a number of lobby groups, however, who say the ban is more an attack on Muslims than a piece of effective safety policy.
“Some might say that the Zanzibar police could have taken a slightly less inflammatory line with regard to road safety,” said Lee-Anne Bass, spokesperson for the women car insurance specialists at CoverGirl Car Insurance Services.
“Bans like this could put a motor insurance firm like ours out of business,” she added.
A history of car insurance
Car crime and car insurance companies
Brandy sets bad example for women
Study shows men 77% more likely to die in road accidents
In-car exercise regime set up for woman drivers
Lancashire woman driver behaves bizarrely
Women drivers more aware of drink drive limit
Woman driver escapes tree fall
FemaleFirst warns of mobile phone penalties
Car insurance and the internet
A look at car insurance intermediaries
Manchester car insurance claims 'through the roof'
Carjacking woman drivers is normal in Detroit
Lively puppy causes woman driver to be arrested
Tree-crushed car gets parking ticket
Women alerted to thieves who target defrosting cars
Monday 22nd January poses cheap car insurance risk
Woman driver follows sat nav onto railway tracks
Cheap car insurance firm reveals in-car quarrels
Carbon offsetting - me, you and the planet
WFII and the UK car insurance industry
Car insurance and the Association of British Insurers
Woman drink driver risks young passengers' lives
Female crash test dummies introduced in the US
Uninsured female driver banned for 6 months
Car insurance firm carries out handbag study
Women drivers invited to take part in challenege
Cost of cheap car insurance quotes rises in Q4 2006
Sleepy drunk woman driver banned for 2 years
Sheila's Wheels ad voted fourth most irritating