Top Reasons to Renew Your Motor Insurance on Time

While spending selectively is a great choice and can help you most of the time, you should avoid being too reserved about it. Saving money is great, but that shouldn’t cause us any financial strain later. Such a consequence only negates the effect.  

For instance, most people often skip the renewal of their motor insurance policies to save money for something else. Motor insurance policies are not just about meeting compliance anymore, they can help you cover for all your financial spending in times of need. Thus, if you wish to avoid stress, make sure you renew your motor insurance policy on time.  

Consequences of Letting Your Motor Insurance Expire 

No good can come out of letting your motor vehicle insurance policy expire. Consequences can range from huge penalties to even imprisonment. To avoid such situations, consider renewing your policy. Let’s now discuss all the possible consequences of expired motor insurance.  

  1. Legal complications 

First of all, having motor vehicle insurance is not just a plus, it is mandatory under the law. The Motor Vehicles Act needs every motor vehicle owner to have a motor insurance cover to avoid unprotected accidents. Thus, failing to do so can result in fines, penalties and even punishments.  

  1. No protection 

Having motor vehicle insurance means you or any third party will be covered for all damages if an accident ever happens. But in the absence of one, you will have to pay for all your damages and liabilities. Such out-of-pocket expenses can result in heavy financial strain for you and your family.  

  1. No Claim Bonus  

When your insurance policy lapses, your no-claim bonus lapses too. The no-claim bonus or NCB is a form of discount that you can enjoy during insurance premium payment if you’ve had a claim-free year. This is a form of reward for the policyholders for making no claims in a single year. The NCB lapses when your policy expires. This in turn costs you a higher renewal premium.  

  1. Vehicle inspection 

If your policy expires and you wish to renew it again, you will have to face a fresh vehicle inspection by the insurer. If your vehicle is in a poorer condition than before, you might be even charged higher premiums. In worst-case scenarios, your insurer might also refuse to cover the vehicle.

Key Benefits of Renewing Your Motor Insurance on Time 

There are multiple benefits of timely motor insurance renewal. Some benefits are required by law, some aren’t. But all these perks can make your life smoother and easier.  

  1. No penalties 

Having a proper motor vehicle insurance cover means you are meeting all the legal codes and requirements mentioned under the Motor Vehicle Act. This way, you will be able to avoid fines and penalties and live a compliant life.  

  1. Financial Protection 

A proper coverage that hasn’t lapsed or expired promises you continuous and uninterrupted coverage. No matter when an accident happens, all your financial damages and liabilities will be covered.  

  1. No Claim Bonus and Lower Premiums 

The no-claim bonus allows you to reap discounts and lower premiums for the years when you’ve made no claims. This is a form of reward for careful drivers. Such a benefit can significantly help you reduce your financial burden but if your policy expires or you skip a premium payment, you will lose this benefit too.  

  1. No vehicle inspection process 

If your policy has already lapsed, your insurer will first want to inspect and assess your vehicle’s condition before agreeing to cover you again. If your vehicle’s condition doesn’t meet the expectations, the insurer might charge you higher premiums or even reject your vehicle for coverage. Such hassles can be avoided with timely payments. 

  1. Flexibility for customisation and add-ons 

With a proper insurance policy and regular premium payments, you can enjoy the features of flexibility and customisation. You can integrate add-ons like zero depreciation, engine protection and roadside assistance with your original plan for better coverage and protection.  

  1. Peace of mind 

Lastly, knowing that your expenses and damages will be covered anytime an accident occurs can help you stay calm even during desperate times.

How to Avoid Penalties with On-Time Motor Insurance Renewal 

Some easy and simple steps can help you stay up to date with your renewal timelines. 

  1. Mark your renewal date 

One of the best ways to always be alert is to have reminders that can help you with the renewal dates. Make sure you mark or encircle your renewal dates on your calendars. If your insurer is a big or reliable brand, they might even send you timely emails or messages on your cell phone to let you know about your renewal dates.  

  1. Long-term motor insurance policies 

Long-term motor insurance policies are extremely helpful as these policies do not require you to renew your motor insurance plans now and then. With fewer renewal dates, the chances of skipping a date or forgetting one also shrink considerably. These motor insurance policies can provide you with coverage for up to 3 years.  

  1. Renew online 

Lastly, you can choose to renew your policies with trusted brands and platforms like Paybima. These digital platforms can make things easier and hassle-free for you by quickening the process with their user-friendly interface. Making renewals digitally means the time needed for such a tedious process is reduced and efficiency is increased. 

Understanding the Motor Insurance Renewal Process 

The motor insurance renewal process is pretty simple. All you have to do is go to the website or app of your insurance provider and provide your vehicle’s information or policy number to log into your account. You can then review your coverage and consider add-ons before proceeding to the payment page.  

 

After all is done, you can make the payment via debit or credit cards or even net banking and UPI. Once your payment is confirmed, you’ll receive a renewal policy document in your mail or a download link to download the document. You must save this document for future reference.  

 

Conclusion 

Renewal helps since it can aid you in being legally compliant and also covers your financial losses.  

You lose your No-Claim bonus, your renewal premium will be higher and you can also face penalties and fines.  

If your policy lapses, your insurer will want to make a vehicle inspection again. Sometimes, if the condition of your vehicle has deteriorated over time, they can charge higher premiums or even deny coverage.  

Yes. A lapse of your motor insurance means you will also lose your No Claim Bonus and will have to face higher premiums.  

Author Bio

Paybima Team

Paybima is an Indian insurance aggregator on a mission to make insurance simple for people. Paybima is the Digital arm of the already established and trusted Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd., a reputed name in the insurance broking industry with 17 years of experience. Paybima promises you the easy-to-access online platform to buy insurance policies, and also extend their unrelented assistance with all your policy related queries and services.

Choose from India’s top insurers

Other Motor Insurance Products

Latest Post

With the aging of senior citizens, health issues increasingly come to the forefront. Medical expenses have become one of their biggest financial burdens. Although health care is improving, it is still paid for now by patients themselves. In India, the costs of treatment can eat away a life's savings, especially after age 60.

See nowSee now

Health insurance is essential to protect one from the financial burden of medical expenses. But it is even more urgent for senior citizens. It was against this backdrop that the Indian government implemented a Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) within its Ayushman Bharat Scheme of comprehensive health insurance: designed to cover economically weaker sections including senior citizens and provide them an opportunity for care that they might not otherwise have obtained.

 

See nowSee now

As people grow older, health becomes increasingly important and requires more attention. Senior citizens, in particular, need higher medical expenses, for which having reliable health insurance is essential. In India, there are a variety of medical insurance for senior citizens particularly suited to their needs. 

See nowSee now

The life of a self-employed person brings freedom, flexibility, and control unmatched by other kinds of employment. At the same time, it carries a host of challenges like lack of employer-sponsored health insurance. 

See nowSee now

Once overlooked or stigmatized, mental health is now seen as an essential component of total life quality. With increased awareness, people began to seek help for all kinds of mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.

However, not everyone can afford the cost of seeking mental health care. It is in these situations, that health insurance comes into play, providing financial support for those who need it the most. 

See nowSee now