Motor Insurance Tips for Driving Through Waterlogged Roads

Getting your car insured before the monsoons is a sensible decision. If you had to drive through a waterlogged street, the engines could be damaged. No wonder there is a spurt in motor claims during this period due to poor visibility, slipper roads, etc. But remember, if you are negligent while driving during waterlogging, your insurance claim can be revoked.

For example, if your car is parked in a flooded basement street and engines are stalled. This raises the risk of engine seizure or failure in case the water enters the engine via exhaust pipes. There are two things that can happen here -

• Considering your vehicle is stalled, you would be entitled to receive the claim. This includes towing and on-spot inspection charges too.

• But trying to crank up or start the engine is considered gross negligence, as per motor insurance guidelines. In such an instance, you would lose your claim.

So, to avoid these mishaps, here are some valuable insurance tips for your vehicle in such situations-

Get 'Engine Protector' Add-on Coverage

If you are stalled due to water logging, don’t start the engine as mentioned above. Call an inspection expert to tow the vehicle away. Starting the vehicle causes more damage to the engine, resulting in you losing the insurance claim. The exception here is the Engine Protector add-on coverage, which covers engine costs.

Under this coverage, your engine undercarriage is also covered. For example, oil leak or gearbox damage due to water logging is covered under the same. But if you don’t have this add-on cover, don't start your engine or attempt driving with a snag.

This cover is ideal for those with low floor cars that have higher risk of engine seizure. You can get this cover along with a base auto insurance plans at affordable rates.

Roadside Assistance

Special add-ons like Roadside Assistance are a boon during the monsoon season when flooding and water logging can happen any time. Cars get stalled and you need to call the insurance company for towing it to the service center. The Roadside Assistance takes care of this towing cost.

Zero Depreciation Cover

This is another sensible plan that ensures that you receive the full claim - without reducing or deducting the amount for parts replaced. Depreciation on replaced parts like bumper can reduce your claim amount by almost 50%. Simply put, you get your full claim with this add-on.

But this is not applicable for vehicles more than 5 years old. The total cost for this plan would be about 0.20-0.25% of the Insured Declared Value or IDV of vehicle.

Tips For Safe Driving through Waterlogged Streets

• Driving with water level above the tyre level is not advised. Stop driving and take an alternate route because the water force would be more than vehicle weight.

• If the water level is below tyre level and you need to wade through, start with first gear. Gently press on the accelerator for increasing engine RPM. This prevents the silencer from getting blocked. For reducing car speed, use the clutch. However, don’t let engine speed go down. Once you cross this zone, accelerate the engine again for cleaning the silencer.

• For slippery roads, always keep a safe distance from other cars. Use fog lights if it is still raining heavily.

• Ensure that your insurer is informed about vehicle damage within 48 hours. This way, you will have a quicker evaluation of the loss and sort out legal issues.

• Give way. And literally yes, let someone else go first. It may sound mean right now but you would be able to assess the road conditions. If the other car gets stuck down the road, you know turning back makes sense.

• Drive through the middle of the road. The depth here is usually the least as compared to sides.

Being reckless or rushing through a waterlogged street will risk vehicle damage along with loss of claim. So, avoid speeding and rash driving to minimise your financial risks.