Why it is Compulsory to have Car Insurance in India

In India, and all over the world, getting your car insured is a compulsory by law, not an option. The Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 makes it mandatory for all vehicle to be covered under an appropriate insurance policy before they can ply on the road. The legal provision which are covered under the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988 include the registration of the vehicle, a valid driver’s licence which must be with the driver at all times and insurance cover which must be taken compulsorily. The minimum requirement in terms of insurance is that a vehicle must at least have a third party legal liability insurance before it can be driven on a public road. A third party legal liability policy will cover the cost of any legal liabilities which may arise if your vehicle has been involved in an accident where a third person has been injured or if any third party’s property has been damaged.

Violation of rules laid down by the Motor Vehicles Act have serious consequences or penalties. Most of us may have experienced these consequences at some point in our adult lives. However, we may not be aware of the full range of penalties which follow the violation of the rules of this Act. These include:

• Violation of the any provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act could attract a fine of Rs. 1000 and/or could also result in the defaulter’s imprisonment for up to 3 months.
• Any person found flouting the rules could have their driver’s licence suspended.
• Following a violation of the law, the defaulter’s vehicle registration could also be suspended.

Certificate of Insurance:

The Certificate of Insurance is an official certificate which is issued by the insurance company under the provisions of Rule 141 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989. This certificate must compulsorily be provided to you by your vehicle insurance company, regardless of the type of car insurance policy you are getting renewed or are purchasing. The Certificate of Insurance is a separate document which is provided in addition to your policy document.

The Certificate of Insurance provided is issued in the format of Form 51 and contains all details pertaining to your car insurance policy. Following are the details included in the Certificate of Insurance.

• Certificate Number.
• Policy number of the car insurance policy.
• Registration mark of the vehicle that is insured.
• The model and manufacturer of the vehicle.
• Chassis number of the vehicle.
• Carrying capacity i.e. the number of passengers that your vehicle is built to accommodate.
• The car insurance policyholder’s name and address
• The date and time from when the insurance policy has commenced cover.
• Date when the policy expires.
• Rules regarding the persons who are allowed to drive the vehicle without attracting legal penalties.
• Policy limitations regarding the usage of the insured vehicle.

The Certificate of Insurance must always be present with the driver of the vehicle. This document will need to be presented during a traffic police inspection, in addition to the driving licence and certificate of registration of the vehicle.

GST Update: GST of 18% is applicable on car insurance effective from the 1st of July, 2017