Reasons to Buy Motor Insurance for Your Off-Road Car

As per the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, every vehicle plying on the road should have valid vehicle insurance. So is this need for motor insurance limited to on-road vehicles? What about the insurance requirement for off-road vehicles?The need for motor insurance is not only to avoid the legal ramifications but also to provide blanket protection to your vehicle against theft and damage. Before we dive into the factors that necessitate a motor insurance policy for off-road cars, let us briefly look into coverage details of motor insurance.

In general, your motor insurance would cover only liability. However, if you wish you broaden the scope then it would also cover:

1. Own Damage
2. Burglary, Housebreaking, Theft
3. Lightning, Self-Ignition, Fire, Explosion
4. Riots, Strikes
5. External Accidental means
6. Earthquakes, floods, inundation, storms, hurricanes, cyclones, tempest, hailstorm, frost, rock-slides, landslides
7. Acts of Terrorism
8. Malicious Acts
9. Accidents while in transit

Nonetheless, if your car is off-road, i.e. it is not plying on the road, the first thought that comes to the mind is to do away with the car insurance policy . Here are some points that can convince you otherwise.

1. Theft & Burglary: The notion that only new cars attract thieves is quite fallacious. It does not matter to the thief whether the car is brand-new or an almost-scrap, as long as they are able to sell the car or its parts. Therefore, the car which is off-road for you would still fetch some good money for the thief. Therefore, it is advisable to have a basic protection cover for even old vehicles.
2. Physical Damage: There are many instances that your car can get damaged even when it is not on the road. This could be due to several reasons - man-made, such as a fire in the garage or natural cause like the earthquake, floods etc. However, in any of these cases, repairing the damages, without a valid insurance cover, will hit your wallets hard.
3. Use by Others: One of the most common instances is when you have rented your car to someone else. In such cases, a basic motor insurance policy would suffice in safeguarding both the car and the person driving it.

Now that you are well aware of the insurance needs even for an off-road car, it is important that you choose your insurance policy wisely evaluating all the inclusion as well as exclusions.

The information contained herein is generic in nature and is meant for educational purposes only. Nothing here is to be construed as an investment or financial or taxation advice nor to be considered as an invitation or solicitation or advertisement for any financial product. Readers are advised to exercise discretion and should seek independent professional advice prior to making any investment decision in relation to any financial product. Aditya Birla Capital Group is not liable for any decision arising out of the use of this information.