Comprehensive insurance provides the most comprehensive coverage compared to a third party, fire and theft insurance, and third-party insurance. However, as stipulated in your insurance policy, standard and no-frills comprehensive insurance does not cover every damage to your car. For instance, your insurance will not cover the repair or replacement cost of additional car accessories. This is why getting additional coverages for car insurance is important to cover the cost that your insurance does not cover.
In this article, we put together additional coverages for car insurance that you may need.
Windscreen coverage
Your windscreen can chip or even break by the slightest stone especially when you drive at high speed. This windscreen coverage will help cover the repair or replacement cost of your windscreen, without affecting your No Claim Discount (NCD).
To get windscreen coverage, you only have to pay 15% of the sum insured for your windscreen. For instance, if your car windscreen is RM800, you only have to pay 15% of it or RM120 to enjoy the coverage.
Note that you can only use this coverage once within the one-year policy period.
Special perils (natural disasters) coverage
Floods, storms, landslides and other natural disasters can happen without notice. As standard comprehensive insurance does not cover the damage arising from natural disasters, you may want to include special perils cover in your insurance policy especially if you live in a low-lying or flood-prone area, for example.
To enjoy this additional coverage, you will usually have to pay 0.5% of the sum insured for your car. The percentage of this additional premium may vary across insurers.
Named driver coverage
Your insurance provides its coverage when the insured car is driven by the policyholder or another named driver. If you let anyone else unnamed in your policy drive your car, you will have to pay an RM400 compulsory excess, if your car runs into an accident. Your insurer may also reject your claim as your car is driven by an unnamed driver at the time of the accident.
To extend your insurance coverage to anyone else whom you authorise to drive your car, you may include additional named driver coverage. For your information, other than yourself, you can name another driver in the policy for free. For a third driver or more, you will usually have to pay RM10 for every additional driver.
All drivers coverage
Similar to additional driver coverage, all drivers coverage extends your insurance coverage to anyone authorised to drive your car. The difference between additional driver coverage and all drivers coverage is for the latter, you do not have to name anyone in your insurance policy, Anyone that you let drive your car gets the coverage automatically.
To enjoy all drivers coverage, you will just have to add RM20.
Additional car accessories coverage
Are you planning to upgrade your car accessories? If that is in your plan, you may want to add car accessories cover to your insurance policy.
For your information, your insurance will only cover the repair or replacement of the standard and factory-fitted accessories. So if you are planning to get additional accessories such as customised sport rims, you should probably opt for this protection.
If your additional car accessories are damaged or stolen, your insurer will compensate you subject to your policy.
To get car accessories cover, you will have to pay 15% of the amount insured for your additional accessories.
Additional coverage for riots
This additional coverage will protect your car from the damage or loss caused by riots or civil destruction. Typically, the premium rate for this additional cover is around 0.3% of the insured amount of your car.
Legal liability protection
Legal Liability to Passengers
This coverage offers protection to the policyholder or other named driver from the risk of legal liability sought by your passengers against you in the event of an accident due to your negligence. “Legal Liability to Passengers” coverage is compulsory for cars entering Singapore.
Example: Say that the car that you drive runs into an accident that harms your passengers, your passengers can sue you if you are at fault.
Therefore, this additional coverage will protect you or another named driver from the risk of such legal liability.
Legal Liability of Passengers
This coverage offers protection to the policyholder or other named driver against any action of legal liability for negligence committed by your passengers.
Example: Your passenger opens your car door by the roadside and accidentally hits and injures a motorcyclist. This coverage protects you from any action of legal liability for the injury sustained by the rider.
Compensation for assessed repair time (CART)
If your car runs into an accident where you are not at fault, you may claim for loss of use if you purchase “Compensation for Assessed Repair Time (CART)” coverage.
Your insurer determines the compensation for CART based on the assessment by their adjuster. Note that the compensation amount is subject to the estimated number of working days to repair your car. The amount is not based on the actual number of days that your car is repaired at a workshop.
You may use the compensation to cover the cost of car rental or taxi fares while your car is in repair. The additional premium you have to pay for CART varies across insurers.
Waiver of betterment cost
“Betterment” is a portion of the cost you have to bear when a damaged vehicle part is replaced with a brand new original part. As your car will be in better condition with the new parts, your insurer will require you to bear the difference in costs.
You can opt to purchase the additional coverage for waiver of betterment to avoid paying additional charges for new spare parts. Note that this coverage is only eligible for vehicles aged between 5 to 9 years old.
Personal accident coverage
Standard motor insurance will not cover your death or bodily injury due to a motor accident where you are at fault.
However, if you purchase personal accident coverage on top of your motor insurance, you or your named beneficiary will receive compensation in the event of your total permanent disability or death as a result of a car accident. This cover also extends to the passengers travelling in the insured car.
You can purchase this additional coverage or secure comprehensive insurance that offers personal accident coverage for free. For instance, Takaful Malaysia and Takaful Ikhlas offer complimentary personal accident coverage.
E-hailing insurance coverage
Do you use your private car for e-hailing services? If you do, you must purchase this additional coverage as your standard auto insurance does not provide coverage for e-hailing services.
Further, the Ministry of Transport has made it mandatory for all private vehicles used for e-hailing services to have additional e-hailing protection effective 12 July 2019.
The coverage offered in e-hailing insurance varies across insurers. Generally, your insurance will cover the following events:
- Loss or damage to your own car
- Third party property damage
- Third party bodily injuries
- Accidental injury or death of the authorised e-hailing driver
- Legal liability to passengers
- Legal liability of passengers
Some of the insurers that offer e-hailing protection include Allianz, Liberty Insurance, Lonpac Insurance and Zurich.
Unlimited towing service coverage
Most comprehensive insurance plans provide free towing service for accidents or breakdowns.
However, insurers usually provide free towing up to a certain distance or cost. If the towing distance or cost exceeds the stipulated limit, you will have to pay for the towing service.
To enjoy unlimited towing services, you may purchase unlimited towing services as additional coverage. This coverage will typically provide unlimited towing services nationwide.
The estimated premium for this additional coverage is RM30 but varies across insurers.
Enjoy enhanced protection with additional coverages for car insurance
To enjoy greater protection, you may consider additional coverages for car insurance as we have shared. To help you decide whether you need any additional coverage, assess your car usage and the risks involved.
It is also best that you compare the premiums offered by different insurers for additional coverages. With the help of Bjak, you can easily compare up to 15 insurers for free. Visit Bjak today and get your free car insurance quotes via email and WhatsApp in under 5 minutes.
Bjak is one of Malaysia’s biggest insurance comparison websites, offering policies from over 10 brands. Get your free insurance quote from Bjak today!
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