Committing a traffic offense not only impacts you financially and legally, but can also make it difficult for you to get coverage for your bike.
Insurance companies do check on your riding history and being involved in any kind of conviction can make it difficult for you to get the desired bike insurance coverage. Fortunately, bike insurance is available for convicted drivers, but with a list of terms and conditions. Given below is the process of obtaining bike insurance for convicted drivers.
Getting bike insurance cover for convicted drivers
Minor offenses do not really impact your comprehensive bike insurance policy, but being involved in a major offense does. Moreover, third party insurance is a mandatory requirement as per the law and hence, not having one can lead to legal and financial liablities.
Major offenses committed by bike riders
The following offenses are considered serious and major in nature and can have a great impact on your bike policy.
Driving under the state of intoxication
Driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol is considered to be a criminal offense under section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 2019.
Hit and run
After causing an accident, the driver is responsible to help the injured by providing medical aid and also report the accident. Not doing so is considered to be a hit and run case. The offense is considered to be more serious in nature if the victim dies or is injured.
Driving without a valid driving license
Driving without a valid driving license is an offense, attracting penalty up to Rs. 5,000 and imprisonment up to 3 months.
Reckless driving
This refers to driving carelessly without any worry about the safety of the people or property; it is considered to be a serious offense, punishable by the law and incurs fine up to Rs. 5,000.
Avoiding the police
Evading police questioning at the time of the accident is considered to be a serious offense
Death or injury caused to the victim
Due to the act of negligence, if the bike involved causes death or injury of the victim then it is considered to be a serious offense. Bikers committing such offenses are booked under 304A of the Indian Penal Code. The penalty for the said crime is 2 years of jail time, fine or both.
Minor offense committed by bike riders
Given below is the list of offenses that are considered to be minor in nature
- Riding with a noisy silencer
- Riding without PUC certificate
- Riding triple seat
- Not obeying traffic rules
- Riding over the speed limit
- Riding without a well functioning horn
Steps to follow to get affordable bike insurance for convicted drivers
Compare plans online: Convicted drivers can find it easy to insure their bike online and comparing plans can help in getting an affordable deal.
Contact insurance company directly: If you are not able to find a suitable bike insurance plan online, then the best option is to call the company’s toll free number and explain your situation directly and get the best suitable options.
Purchase a low-cost bike: One of the determinants of bike insurance premium is the cc engine. Expensive bikes usually possess a higher cc engine and their spare parts are also expensive. In this case, it is best to choose a bike with a low cc engine to ensure that the premium charged is low.
Upgrade the bike’s security: Upgrading the bike’s security system i.e. installing an anti theft device can help you attract a low premium for your bike.
A convicted rider may find it difficult to insure his bike, however, being aware of the above points can certainly help and make it easy for him to purchase bike insurance online.
Also Read:Things to consider before switching bike insurance