Two Wheeler Insurance

The most common classification of vehicle insurance, including the two-wheeler type, is according to the type of cover provided to the insured. Policies in this sense are generally of two types: comprehensive policy and liability only insurance policy. The Indian Motor Vehicles Act makes it mandatory for all automobiles that ply on public areas to have third-party two wheeler insurance.

This means that any mechanized vehicle that is running on Indian roads such as cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, etc. need to have this insurance at the very least. However, with the advantages this motor insurance offers, they have become a clear favourite among the Indian public.

Comprehensive Two Wheeler Insurance

The comprehensive two wheeler insurance, as the name suggests, provide total cover for the two-wheeler and the insured. It provides four-way insurance:

• Protects from losses due to damages to the vehicle

  These wear and tears may be due to man-made reasons or due to natural causes. Whatever the reason, these help the insured to meet the wears and tears suffered by the two-wheeler and gets it back running into its original condition in no time at all. Most insurance companies offer additional add-on or optional features that help to further insure them any losses. Optional features like zero depreciation even help to save against costs from consumables, if the option is chosen.

• Personal accident cover

  Offer a personal accident cover up to Rs. 15 lakh to insure against any injuries that result in partial or total temporary or permanent disability or even death. The Indian motor insurance companies offer the optional benefit to add co-passenger. Companies also include this cover in their liability only policies.

• Insures against third party liability

  Guard against any cause of action arising due to this liability. These legal responsibilities may arise due to:

• Bodily injury to or death

  Protect against any wears and tears that may accrue due to injuries to or even death. These injuries may result in hospitalization and maybe ones that cause temporary or permanent damage or partial or total loss of limbs or their functioning.

• Damages to third party property

  The insurance companies cover this loss only up to a specific limit as defined under the policy document.

Liability Only Policy

The two-wheeler liability only covers insure against legal responsibilities due to injuries suffered by anyone in the surroundings or losses suffered by them solely due to the unfortunate event. As the name suggests, these types of plans do not safeguard against wears and tears suffered by the vehicle.

Most motor insurance companies in India may also provide a personal accident cover for the owner of the motorcycle, moped or scooty. Some IRDA approved insurers also offer multi-year accountability only plans that can cover the vehicle for 2 to 3 years.

Indian laws mandate that any vehicle plying on all public roads in the country should have third-party two wheeler insurance. Even though the laws do not prescribe comprehensive cover, the nature of costs that arise from a mishap or other man-made or natural events necessitates that owners opt for some sort of comprehensive insurance that protects against wear and tears to the vehicle and the riders in addition to securing against wears and tears. The motor insurance laws in India protect the millions of owners in India from any large costs that may arise due to wears and tears to their motorcycle, scooty, or moped.

Anybody travelling on Indian roads would have seen the unceasing growth in the number of automobiles in the country. The lack of good roads, the morning and evening rush hours and unregulated traffic problems are a part and parcel of life today. In addition, events such as rainfall or snow, or heat waves may cause problems on the road such as slippery surfaces, mushy or muddy areas, or sticky tar that may cause damages to the vehicle and even injure the riders.

Other man-made events or natural disasters add their own range of problems that may damage the vehicle or result in various types of costs and other legal responsibilities. All these costs and legal responsibilities can be easily countered by a policy.

This policy helps in a number of ways: They protect against wears and tears to the scooter, motorbike, or moped. The machines that run on the road today are a far cry from the ones that used to ply on the roads a few years ago. Advances in technology, environmental laws and restrictions and the demand for the best vehicles possible has meant that Indian two-wheeled automobiles are now much more advanced in terms of engine specs, rider comfort, overall ride quality and looks.

These advances also mean the cost of automobiles has gone up along with the cost of their spare parts. Even the simple nuts and bolts or parts such as the gears or the brake pads are now costlier than before. Even small damage can result in a bill of thousands of rupees in terms of repair costs.

As most of the two-wheeler riders are middle-class consumers, small damage can cause a huge dent in their savings and can even skew an entire year’s financial planning. All this can be avoided with a valid policy. These plans will help the insured to get the scooter, motorbike, moped repaired without creating a hole in their wallets. A two-wheeler insurance policy in India guards against both man-made events as well as natural disasters.

• Two-Wheeler Insurance against Damage or Loss to the Vehicle Due to Man-made Reasons

  Insurance companies offer a range of man-made reasons against which they offer protection to the insured party. These include unforeseen events, such as burglary, theft, riot, and the strike by outside means, malicious act, terrorist activity, and any damage in transit by road, rail, inland waterway, lift, elevator or air, among others.

• 2 Wheeler Insurance Against Damage or Loss to the Vehicle Due to Natural Reasons

  A two-wheeler insurance policy offers near comprehensive list of natural causes against which they offer protection to the insured. These include fire, explosion, lightning, earthquake, flood, hurricane, cyclone, typhoon, storm, tempest, inundation, hailstorm, and landslide and rockslides, among others.

• They Insure Against Accidents to the Riders

  Two-wheeler insurance guards against any injuries to the rider and the co-passenger (if it is also there) from accidents. Most of these accidents result in the medical costs of some kind or the other. The adverse effects of such costs can be mitigated with the help cover for personal accident.

  The amount of payout depends on the type of damages suffered. In the unforeseen event of the demise of the rider due to a mishap, the full amount of the cover is given to the nominees or family members. The amount is lesser in case of simple injuries from which the person can recover easily, with or without hospitalization (as mentioned in the document wording or documented wordings).

  Policy wordings mention that the person is given compensation for injuries or death resulting from an accident to the vehicle due to violent, accidental, external and visible means. These accidents may occur when the person is travelling on the vehicle or is mounting from his motorbike, scooter or any other mechanized motorcycle. Check policy wording for more details.

• They Guard Against Bodily Injuries to the Third Party

  The policies guard against injuries caused to third parties due to an accident or incident that was caused by the insured motorcycle or scooter. There are instances when the vehicle may be at the centre of an accident that causes injuries. These accidents may occur even when the driver was exercising extreme caution and riding the motorcycle as it is supposed to be ridden.

  These events are unforeseen but may result in injuries to any party. The scooter insurance plans help to protect the insured party against any costs that they may have to incur due to accidental wears and tears. It ensures that the insured person does not suffer in any way because of an unforeseen event.

• They Insure Against Damages to Third Party Property

  Often an accident may result in damages to the property in surroundings. This raises legal responsibilities as the damages will have to be reimbursed by the insured person. Insurance comes to the rescue in such cases as the policy ensures that the insured does not suffer due to the loss suffered by the third party. The plans provide clear definite terms and limitations up to which the insurer will reimburse the affected person.

  Nearly all of these wears and tears are settled through legal proceedings that ensure all actions are taken in strict accordance with the law of the country, and all causes and reimbursements are addressed in the manner prescribed under the statutes. The strict terms and conditions ensure that the insured does not suffer any loss due to events beyond their control, and the third party also receives the necessary compensation due to them as a result of the loss suffered by them due to the event.

• They offer Peace of Mind

  Motorcycles are generally purchased by young men and women and by the middle-class people in India. Whether it is Jammu and Kashmir or Andaman and Nicobar Islands, millions of these middle-class Indians use their motorcycles to commute from one place to another, for work or otherwise. For them, their motorbike, scooter, or moped is a means of their daily sustenance.

  Even small damage to their precious vehicle will mean rearranging the monthly household budget and foregoing small pleasures to save on the costs incurred for repairing the motorbike. This policy works wonders for these people. It gives them peace of mind as they don’t have to worry about how to pay for the expenditure. The insurance company will take care of these expenses for them, and they can ride easy, without any cause for worry.

It has a detailed list of inclusions and exclusions - whether natural or man-made. These are generally detailed in the annexure of the policy documents.

Inclusions in Two Wheeler Insurance Policy

• Natural Events

  The natural events that are included within the features include fires, self-ignition, earthquakes, floods, inundations, lightning, hurricanes, storms, cyclones, hailstorms, tempests, typhoons, frost, and rockslide.

• Man-Made Events

  These plans offer a range of man-made causes such as accident by external means, burglaries, thefts, riots or strikes, any in-transit damage when the vehicle is being transported from one place to another by roads, railways, inland waterways, lifts (elevators) or by air.

• Personal Accident Coverage

  A personal accident cover of up to Rs. 15 Lakh is available for injuries to the driver/owner that may result in temporary or permanent disabilities or loss of limb- that causes partial or total disability. The cover applies when the person is travelling, mounting or dismounting from the two-wheeler. Insurance companies also offer optional personal accident insurance for the co-passengers.

• Legal Third Party Liability

  This covers against any legal loss of money that may occur due to injuries to anyone in surroundings, which may have even led to death. It also protects against any damage to a third party.

Exclusions in Two Wheeler Insurance Policy

• Damage caused by normal wear and tear of the vehicle

• Loss from mechanical or electrical breakdowns

• Depreciation or any consequential loss from regular use

• Any damage to tyres and tubes in the normal course of running

• Any loss due to the vehicle being used for purposes for which it is not meant for use

• Loss or damage to the vehicle when driven by a person without a valid driving license

• Losses occurring because the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Any damage caused due to war or mutiny or from nuclear risk

Two wheeler insurance can be a lifesaver in times of need. In addition to protecting against accountabilities due to injuries to the person or their property or collateral, it also provides an accident cover and insurance against wears and tears to the two-wheeler. There are many ways to buy the insurance - as an individual, you can buy the insurance online or from the offices of the agent or insurance company. 

Web sites like PolicyBazaar are a good place to compare insurance online. You can use the two-wheeler insurance premium calculator to find the premium you need to pay for each valid policy offered by the different insurance companies. There are quite a few things to check apart from the premium:

• Type of 2 Wheeler Insurance Covers

  The insurance policy covers for motorcycle are generally of two types: liability only policy and comprehensive cover. Though Indian laws mandate that any vehicle plying in public areas have at least accountability only policies, it makes sense to have comprehensive policy cover as they provide bike insurance against any wears and tears that may occur to the vehicle whether from man-made or natural reasons. Decide on what type of cover you need. Even though we suggest going for comprehensive insurance, you may prefer to have this policy.

• Some companies provide a range of both options while some focus on only a specific type of plans. A few insurers also offer specific plans for motorcycles or for commercial two-wheeler. These specific plans are designed especially to help cover specific risks that may relate to the type of motorcycle or type of usage.

• Add-on or Optional Covers

  All insurance companies offer add-on features that help extend the motorcycle insurance policy go beyond the basic policy. These may relate to additional insurance features for wears and tears to the vehicle, additional or new features for costlier accessories or parts, accident features for co-passengers, features to extend the accountability for personal injury or property damage and so on. Some policy cover such as Zero Dep or NIL Depreciation is especially beneficial to have, as they ensure that the insured does not pay an additional premium for the depreciation charges of any part.

  They only pay the premium for the service charges and taxes in terms of cashless claim settlement. The rest of the costs are met by the insurance company at cashless network garages for settlement with the workshops or garages where the motorcycle was repaired if the insurer offers cashless claim reimbursement. In addition, Zero Dep for consumables ensures that the owner does not have to pay the premium for even the ones that are put back to get the motor back into running condition.

• Facilities and Features Available

  Most of the motor insurance companies have become quite customer savvy and offer various features and benefits to help the consumer in their claim process and even otherwise. For instance, they will have a 24/7 call centre that operates around the clock, experts who can guide you to select the right policy and make a renewal claim, easy transfer of NCB (No Claim Bonus) in case you are buying a new motorcycle, and concessions for members of recognized vehicle associations or for inclusion of theft-proof devices.

  Some motor companies also go the extra mile and ensure you do not have to follow up with the repair workshop as they chase the garage on your behalf to get the repairs done. You also get an online dashboard from where you can check the status of your policy, fill out the claim form and file a claim from the website, and renew the policy online. It may seem a small point to consider, but a simple benefit like an around the clock call centre will ensure that you get immediate help at whatever time you call. Such a facility is extremely useful if you regularly travel at night. In fact, with the long working hours of today, opting for a policy from a company or agent that offer 24/7 support makes perfect sense.

• Claim Process

  The consumer-conscious insurance companies have simple claim processes that ensure the insured faces no problems while filing a claim form. They will help the insured to take the motorcycle to the nearest authorized service centre. The motor insurance claim process involves a few broad steps, such as calling the insurance company for registration of the claim, filing an FIR with the police station in case of injuries or damage to property or an accident, taking the motorcycle to the garage and submitting the necessary documents with the claim form.

  In most instances, the insurance company bears all the expenses and the owner has to bear only the expenditure that is not covered under the policy and the service charges and tax. The claim process can be quite tedious if you have to take care of all the steps yourself. While comparing, ensure that the insurer helps you to file a claim. In most, cases, the insurance company’s website should contain the information. Otherwise, you can always refer to PolicyBazaar to get the necessary information online.

  The customer may also fill out the claim form for motor insurance claims directly and submit it to the provider by visiting a nearby branch, thereby attaching documents required, such as a driving license copy, original bills (if required), and get their bike repaired at the network garages. The company accepts claims concerning own damage, theft claims, which the person can confirm along with the insured declared value (IDV). Two wheeler insurance also includes accident insurance

• Renewal Process

  The process to renew 2 this insurance should be easy and near instantaneous. Most websites facilitate online policy renewal or you can use our website to renew your policy if it was originally purchased from us. Buying online two wheeler insurance is an easy option for everyone. Also, the companies that offer electronically signed plans are much better, as you can simply (renew when required) and print it from the site and keep your RC and other necessary documents that need to be carried when you are riding your two-wheeler.

• Discounts Available

  While comparing, it makes sense to opt for companies that offer concessions for certain factors, such as no claim bonus (NCB), membership of a recognized automotive association, the inclusion of anti-theft devices in the vehicle, and so on. Also, some companies may offer an additional discount for reasons such as online renewal, buying the policy using a certain app or credit card, including for each claim-free year.

  Knowing what concessions can significantly lower the total premium payable for the online two wheeler insurance policy. Most of the companies also offer significant concessions on additional covers. Ensure you check the website of the insurance companies you are shortlisting to understand how much discount you can have.