Long Term Two Wheeler Insurance

Do you know among 10 crore two-wheelers in India, approx. two-third are not insured. A two-wheeler rolls out of showrooms with cover, thanks to a mandatory clause and offers from auto dealers and brokers. But, by the second year, most fall out of the insurance net.

To combat non-renewals, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDA) had, last year, allowed long term two-wheeler insurance policies with tenure of up to three years. As of now, only New India Assurance has launched a long-term two-wheeler motor policy, though many companies are likely to introduce such products in near future.

Benefits of Buying long Term Two Wheeler Insurance

Buying a longer tenure policy is not mandatory, but an option. One main advantage of buying long-term insurance is that you need not worry about renewing your policy annually. A break in renewal can delay a policy purchase process in future. Once the policy lapses, most insurance companies insist on inspecting the vehicle before renewing it or issuing a fresh policy.

Motor law in India makes third-party insurance cover mandatory. It covers the liability of a third party in case of an accident. Insurers say the three-year tenure will reduce cost of issuing policies, administering them and follow-ups for renewals. This could also lead to lower premiums as insurers could pass on the saving to the customers.  

The insured will get a 30% discount on the three-year cover and will be entitled to no-claim bonuses post the tenure. The company offers discounts of 20% and 30% on two-year and three-year policies respectively. You could also save on premiums if you buy a long-term third party liability cover as IRDAI hikes third party cover tariffs by 20% every year.

No-claim bonus for claim free years
Regular annual motor policies		Long-term motor policies
After one claim-free year	20%	Upfront discount
After two consecutive claim-free years	25%	For two-year policies	20%
After three consecutive claim-free years	35%	For three-year policies	30%
After four consecutive claim-free years	45%	At inception	15%
After five consecutive claim-free years	50%	Upon renewing a three-year policy
		After three years	30%
		After one claim in the first year	25%
		After one claim in the second year	20%
		If there is a claim in the third year or more than one claim during three years	Nil

The Flipside

If market premiums go down in future, people with long-term policies will be locked into a higher rate. They will also not be able to perk up the quality of cover during the tenure of the long-term insurance. However, going by the rising inflation one can safely say that prices are never going to come down. So, go buy the long term two wheeler insurance online and buy yourself the peace of mind.

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