How abiding traffic rules can lower your car insurance premium?

Date : 15/11/2019
Read: 4 mins

As transport department plans to link traffic violations to car insurance premium amount, know the traffic rules which you need to abide by.

How abiding traffic rules can lower your car insurance premium?

Traffic department in India is planning to incorporate your driving habits into the insurance premium calculation of your vehicle. Accordingly, the higher your traffic offences are, the more will be your car insurance premium. The department is planning to recommend lowering of the car premium to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) to incentivise good road manners and similarly, increase the premium for serial traffic offenders.

There is a specified list of violations that constitute traffic offence. These can be related to vehicular documents, driving habits, pollution, the feature of the vehicle such as number plates, lights, horn etc. Let’s look at such bad driving/riding habits that can eventually increase your vehicle insurance premium.

1. Document-related offences: The authorities expect you to possess certain documents while driving. If you drive without a valid driving license, registration certificate, insurance papers and Pollution Under Control Certificate the traffic police will consider it a violation. Allowing someone without a valid license to drive your vehicle is also a violation of traffic rules.

2. Driving-related offences: There are many driving-related violations that you need to be aware of:

Driving by a minor is an offence and so is letting an unlicensed person drive.
You have to drive wearing a seat belt and ride wearing a helmet.
You cannot drive against One Way and always drive on your lane.
If you take a reverse turn, U-turn or even a simple turn properly, you may end up violating the law.
You cannot carry people on the footboard of your vehicle, in an inconvenient position like blocking the rear view or the gearbox.
You are attracting traffic violation if you stop pedestrians from crossing the road or on a zebra crossing.
You cannot drive above speed limits, overtake dangerously or from the wrong side, or block overtaking attempt of others.
You can definitely not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
You cannot use a mobile phone or play music while driving.
You cannot drive without a fixed silencer.
You also cannot drive when emotionally, mentally or physically unfit.

3. Road signs: There are various road signs that you need to notice and abide while driving. You cannot step over the yellow line, cross over the stop line or ignore the road signs.

4. Offences related to vehicle parts: You cannot use offensive number plates or write “Applied For” on them. You cannot use headlights improperly and use high beam when not required. Driving without a horn or its improper use is also a traffic rule violation.

5. Traffic signal and police: You cannot disobey or go against traffic police. You have to obey the traffic signal and display proper signals while driving.

6. Pollution-related offences: If you smoke in public transport you are violating a traffic offence, although not as a driver. However, the use of shrill horns, pressure horns, noisy silencers, smoky exhausts or blowing horn in silence zone can make you an offender as a driver.

7. Miscellaneous offences: You cannot keep the vehicle out of state for more than 12 months. Your car must have wipers, side mirrors, not have tinted glass, fit for use tyres etc. You cannot use your private car for commercial purposes transport goods in a hazardous way or use the vehicle in hazardous conditions. You cannot sell or modify a car in contravention of the Motor Vehicles Act.

If you violate these traffic rules and is brought to the books of the traffic police, you will end up becoming a traffic offender. Therefore, it is wise to keep yourself reminded of these rules and abide by them while driving. Also, learn these 6 Motor Insurance terms before you claim.

2. Driving-related offences: There are many driving-related violations that you need to be aware of:

Driving by a minor is an offence and so is letting an unlicensed person drive.
You have to drive wearing a seat belt and ride wearing a helmet.
You cannot drive against One Way and always drive on your lane.
If you take a reverse turn, U-turn or even a simple turn properly, you may end up violating the law.
You cannot carry people on the footboard of your vehicle, in an inconvenient position like blocking the rear view or the gearbox.
You are attracting traffic violation if you stop pedestrians from crossing the road or on a zebra crossing.
You cannot drive above speed limits, overtake dangerously or from the wrong side, or block overtaking attempt of others.
You can definitely not drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
You cannot use a mobile phone or play music while driving.
You cannot drive without a fixed silencer.
You also cannot drive when emotionally, mentally or physically unfit.

3. Road signs: There are various road signs that you need to notice and abide while driving. You cannot step over the yellow line, cross over the stop line or ignore the road signs.

5. Traffic signal and police: You cannot disobey or go against traffic police. You have to obey the traffic signal and display proper signals while driving.