Ask Money Today: Here's how to winter-proof your vehicle with a motor insurance plan

Question: During the winter season, we usually see many incidents and accidents occurring due to poor weather conditions. Accidents also take place due to visibility dropping severely on roads. Apart from comprehensive motor insurance cover what other add-ons one must have to winter-proof the car?

Neha , Noida 

Reply By Vivek Chaturvedi, CMO & Head of Direct Sales, Digit Insurance 

Winters are harsh in many parts of India, especially in the northern states, and dense fog and severe snowfall typically envelop the roads, making it hard for vehicles to ply on roads. Cases of stationary cars being hit due to dense fog also sees a rise during the winter season. Cars often also skid on snowy or wet roads, leading to car damage. While we take precautions by adequately layering ourselves with warm clothes, it is important to ensure your vehicle is also well-prepared to bear the rough weather. 
 
Taking a comprehensive motor cover with adequate add-ons can ensure your vehicle is protected against any such weather anomalies. A comprehensive motor insurance plan protects the vehicle against accidents and pays for any subsequent damages. While a comprehensive motor plan will protect you from any damages due to accidents, thefts or natural disasters and any third-party liability, one should also look at appropriate add-ons to winter-proof their vehicle. Here are a few add-ons one can look at: 

Tyre Protection: Cold weather can sometimes affect the tyre pressure and lead to a flat tyre. A Tyre Protect add-on can help you cover for tyre damages due to tyre bursts, bulges, or any cuts.

Engine and Gear-box Protection Cover: Due to extreme cold, engine oil often becomes thicker and doesn't flow around the engine as well. Warming up your car by leaving the engine idle before leaving is often a common sight during winter. Under a comprehensive motor insurance plan, the engine is repaired only in cases of accidents. This means any consequential damage is not covered. Taking an Engine and Gearbox insurance protection will help you cover all the major components of your engine as well as the gearbox. Replacing the car engine can usually cost up to 40 percent of the vehicle's cost. Hence, it makes sense to opt for an Engine and Gear-box Protection Cover despite the weather conditions.

Breakdown Assistance: Vehicles breaking down due to extreme weather conditions is a normal phenomenon and it is important to make sure you aren't left stranded in cold weather due to a car breakdown. A Breakdown Assistance add-on provides assistance and pays for any labour and conveyance costs due to flat battery, flat tyre, towing facility, and fuel assistance, among others.

Return to Invoice cover: Severe accidents due to dense fog or extreme weather conditions can lead to total loss of the vehicle, i.e., your car being damaged beyond repair. A Return to Invoice add-on, which is useful all year round, can help the customer in receiving full compensation and receive the amount mentioned in the invoice of the insured vehicle.

Zero Depreciation Cover: Bumper-to-bumper accidents or small damages are seen quite often due to dense fog and this can lead to the high vehicle repair costs. In the case of vehicle repair, the cost of depreciation of the parts being repaired or replaced needs to be borne by the policyholder. Having a Zero Depreciation add-on can ensure that you do not have to shell out any money out of your own pocket for the repair of the assessed parts.

(Views expressed by the investment expert are his/her own. E-mail us your investment queries at askmoneytoday@intoday.com. We will get your queries answered by our panel of experts)

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