Clean Riding Record & How it Affects Two-wheeler Insurance?

A riding record is your history of riding a two-wheeler. This includes information about your identity, driving licence, traffic challans, traffic violations, and accidents. If you have a clean driving record, then it stands testament to the fact that you follow the rules and ride safely. Insurance companies focus on the number of accidents and claims that you have registered in previous years to calculate the premium of the bike insurance policy.

Insurance companies offer discounts and better coverage to experienced riders who have spotless riding backgrounds. Hence, before offering a quote on the insurance for bikes, insurance companies run a good driving record check to understand if you are a good and safe rider. Bikers with a clean riding background get various options in two-wheeler insurance at highly competitive prices. To understand how a clean riding record can impact bike insurance, let’s look at the factors that insurers consider while calculating the premium.

• The make and model of your bike
• Your geographical location
• The year of manufacture of the bike
• Your driving record
• Your history of bike insurance claims
• The type of plan you choose. The premium for a third-party bike insurance policy is lesser than a comprehensive two-wheeler insurance policy. Also, in comprehensive plans, the choice of riders can impact bike insurance premiums.
• The Insured Declared Value (IDV) or the current market value of the bike

If you have a clean driving record and a history of few-to-zero claims, then insurance companies can offer various discounts and features as you are less likely to file a claim. Hence, a clean riding record can help you get more coverage or affordable bike insurance plans.

A riding record contains a lot of information about you and your riding history. Hence, to maintain a clean riding record, you need to make sure that you keep all the factors affecting your riding record in mind. Here are some tips to help you:

Bikers who frequently violate traffic rules like jumping a signal, over-speeding, etc., are considered to be bad drivers by traffic authorities and insurance companies. If you have multiple instances of traffic rule violations on your record, then it does not talk about a safe rider. Insurance companies can also consider such riders to be a risk to other road users. Hence, make sure that you avoid violating traffic rules and be a responsible biker.

When a biker violates a traffic rule, the officers issue a challan that includes the fine that the biker needs to pay for the violation. A delay in paying the challan or non-payment of the same reflects the laid-back attitude of the biker. Insurance companies can categorise such bikers as high-risk since they have a history of violating rules and delaying the payment of the fine. Hence, if you receive a traffic violation challan, then make sure that you make the payment on or before the due date mentioned on it.

If your negligence results in a road accident, then it can reflect badly in your motor vehicle record. This is an aspect the bike insurance companies pay special heed to. Bikers with a history of frequent accidents due to negligence are usually seen as high-risk customers and are offered two-wheeler insurance plans at higher premium rates.

While many youngsters associate bike riding with hair-raising stunts, these can be life-threatening and dangerous to the biker and others on the road. Hence, to have a clean driving record, make sure that you avoid rash and negligent riding.

It is a crime to ride your bike when under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating substance. Even if you have one such instance on your driving record, then insurance companies might see it as a high-risk prospect. Driving under the influence of any intoxicating substance can put your life at risk and endanger those around you too. Hence, make sure that you never ride your bike if you have used any intoxicating substance.

If you have a history of filing frequent bike insurance claims, then it indicates a riding behaviour that results in regular accidents or collisions. Also, insurance companies might view such a driving record negatively and offer bike insurance plans at higher premium rates. Hence, make sure that you don’t file a claim for every small repair. Remember, insurers also offer discounts to policyholders who do not file a claim during a policy term. This is a progressive discount called No Claims Bonus that can go up to 50% of the premium over time. Hence, avoid filing a bike insurance claim unless necessary.

At Tata AIG, we analyse the driving record of a bike owner before offering a quote for the two-wheeler insurance policy. We urge our policyholders to practice safe riding to prevent accidents and collisions and benefit from our No Claims Bonus discount on the premium. We offer bike insurance renewal online and allow policyholders to enter their NCB bonus to look at the impact safe riding behaviour can have on the premium. With a clean driving record, you can be assured of getting the best quotes on bike insurance policies and saving money.

A clean riding record can get you more coverage and/or competitive premium rates on a bike insurance policy. Make sure that you follow safe riding practices and avoid violating traffic rules.

When will a bike accident impact my driving record?

If the accident was caused due to your negligence and the affected person(s) filed a First Information Report (FIR) with the police, then your driving record will be negatively impacted.

Why do I need a clean driving record?

A clean driving record means you have ensured the safety of yourself, your bike, and others on the road. It means that you have not caused any accidents or violated any traffic rules. Insurance companies fund such bikers to be low-risk customers and offer discounted premium rates on policies.

All the bike prices and other information listed above pertain to a specific city and vehicle model. Since this information is subject to change, it is advisable to check the latest information before purchasing a vehicle or an insurance policy.