The Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 requires all vehicles used for either social, domestic or pleasure purposes to be covered by valid insurance. Under the provisions of Chapter 11 (Section 145 to 164) of this Act, driving motor vehicles in public places without third party insurance is a punishable offence. Hence, Third Party Motor Insurance for vehicles is a statutory requirement.

Insurance is a contract whereby the insurer undertakes to pay the insured person a sum of money in the event of a happening or in the event of specific events. Motor Insurance protects the owner of the vehicle against damages to the vehicle and also pays for any liabilities owed by the vehicle owner as per law. The owner of the vehicle is legally liable for any injury or damage to life or property caused by used of the insured vehicle.

What does Motor Insurance Cover?

Motor insurance can be of two types. It can either cover only liability, as is the statutory requirement. Or it can cover liability and a variety of damage to the insured person’s vehicle. This is called as OD (Own Damage) cover and comprises the following types of damages.

• Fire, Self- Ignition, Explosion, Lightning
• Burglary, Housebreaking, Theft
• Riots, Strikes
• Earthquakes, floods, storms, tempest, inundation, hailstorm, frost, cyclones, hurricanes, landslides, rock slides
• Accidental external means
• Malicious Acts
• Terrorism act
• While in transit

If you are not using your car for a prolonged period of time, and it just lies in your garage or in a parking facility, paying for car insurance may seem a bother. However, it is still better to pay for third party motor insurance for your car for the protection and coverage offered.

Thievery

Although the common belief is that only new and fancy cars are targeted by thieves, there are no such rules. Parts of older, difficult to find cars, are usually costlier in the market than any of the newer cars available. Thieves may earn more for older unavailable parts. Hence the number of old cars getting stolen is increasing. Whether it is a new car or an old one, it is beneficial to insure it.

Physical Damage

Even in storage, cars may get damaged for a number of reasons, such as floods, fire, earthquake, rain water, and force majeure or due to infrequent use. For example, a car’s engine may get damaged due to flooding or due to rain water entering the engine. Part of the cost incurred for reparation may be covered by some insurers. Similarly, damage caused by some natural calamities such as fire, earthquakes, storms, floods, etc. are covered. Damage caused by strikes, riots, terrorism, burglary, theft, malicious acts and other manmade calamities are also covered.

Use by Others

If you are not using your car, and have rented it to another party for use, the Motor Insurance would provide protection against any liability arising as a result of injury or death caused by the vehicle to the occupants.

Ideally it would be beneficial to the car owner to insure the vehicle, be it in use or out of circulation. Insurance protects the car owner in a number of situations, and provides financial relief in the event of damage caused by or to the vehicle.

Here are a few interesting motor insurance plans.

Insurer	Third party Cover	Some of the add on Covers	Special Features
Bajaj Allianz Car Insurance	Up to INR 7.5 lakhs for third party property damage	Engine Protector Key and Lock replacement Electrical and Non-Electrical Accessories Road Side Assistance (RSA) Plan PA for passenger Optional Zero Depreciation	RSA and Lock and Key included in all policies 24*7 Call centres and SMS updates on motor claims Instant policy issuance
HDFC Ergo Car Insurance Plan	Up to INR 7.5 lakhs for third party property damage	Engine Protector Electrical and Non-Electrical Accessories Road Side Assistance (RSA) Plan PA for passenger Zero Depreciation	Occupation and Age discounts available Comprehensive support through a dedicated support team Unlimited claims for Zero Depreciation plan in a year
IFFCO Tokio Car Insurance Plans	Up to INR 7.5 lakhs for third party property damage	Electrical and Non-Electrical Accessories PA for passenger	Online e-survey claims module for lowest TAT in claim settlement Trained in-house surveyors for immediate claim assistance

 

Over to You!

Now that you know how important it is to ensure car insurance even if your vehicle is off-road, it makes sense to carefully choose a car insurance that fits well within your budget and matches your preferences and requisites.

So, if you haven’t insured your car yet, go for it now! Remember, your car is where you spend most of your time, after your office and home and that’s why it makes sense to ensure proper cover for your cover.

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