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Clean riding record: How your riding record affects bike insurance

Team AckoJan 17, 2024

A clean riding record is an important factor while calculating the bike insurance premium. When pricing an insurance policy, insurers will closely look at your riding history, and that history will have a massive impact on the cost of the insurance plan. You may have a clean riding record or you may be a rider with a less-than-perfect riding record, but you want to learn how to improve your record to help reduce the insurance premium.

If either of these scenarios describes your situation, this article is for you. Here, you will focus on two things: How can having a clean riding record reduce your bike insurance premium and tips for riding safely.

Contents

What is a riding record?
How a clean riding history affects bike insurance?
- Some factors in calculating your bike insurance
Factors that affect riding record
How to keep a clean riding record?
Frequently asked questions

What is a riding record?

A riding record is nothing but the record of your bike riding history. The history includes information about your accidents, driving license number, identity information, traffic challans received, and details of traffic violations.

The record also includes your riding behaviour. A clean riding record means that you follow traffic rules and ride safely on the road. While these aspects are considered by the authorities regulating traffic, insurers take into account only the number of claims and accidents while calculating the insurance premium.

How a clean riding history affects bike insurance?

Excellent and experienced riders with clean riding records enjoy the benefit of lower bike insurance premiums and probably better insurance coverage options. Good, clean, and safe riding pays off! If you have a clean riding record, you have multiple choices for competitive insurance prices and coverage from insurers. Why? When an insurer determines how much it will charge for bike insurance, there are several factors that they consider.

Some factors in calculating your bike insurance

Model of your vehicle
Where you ride (location)
Year of manufacture of your vehicle
Riding record/history
Claim history
Type of plan
(IDV) Insured Declared Value for bike

Insurers offer lower insurance premiums to riders who are less likely to raise claims during the policy period. Riders with good riding records are likely to qualify for substantial money-saving benefits offered by insurers.

Factors that affect riding record

Various factors impact your riding record. Here are the crucial factors that affect your riding record.

Traffic violations: Violating traffic rules and regulations harms your riding history, and you can be considered a bad rider. Traffic violations such as overspeeding, jumping traffic signals, etc., make for a bad riding record. Hence, you need to ensure that you respect the rules and regulations and the safety of other road users.
Late or non-payment of challans: If you do not pay the traffic violation challan on time, it reflects your laid-back attitude. While you must not break traffic rules and regulations, in case you receive a challan, ensure that you pay the fine within the due date.
Accidents: An accident due to negligence can impact your riding or driving record as you would be considered irresponsible and can affect your driving record immensely.
Dangerous riding: Negligent, rash, or dangerous riding not only impacts your riding history and premium but also proves to be life-threatening.
Raising too many claims: Making too many claims reflects unsafe riding behaviour that leads to frequent damages to your bike. Several claims will not only dent your riding record but will also result in the loss of your No Claim Bonus (NCB) discount that can go up to 50% for 5 consecutive years. Registering too many claims and the loss of NCB will impact your bike insurance premium.
Found using intoxicating substances: If you are involved in an accident and found to be riding your bike under the influence of intoxicating substances, it will be a black spot on your riding history.

How to keep a clean riding record?

Now that you know the importance of your riding record ensure you follow the points below to keep a clean riding record.

Safe riding: Always ride responsibly on the road and respect other road users. Riding recklessly may put you and others at risk. Never ride aggressively. Ensure your and others’ safety.
Follow traffic rules: Traffic rules are meant to be followed for the safety of all road users. Ensure you do not over-speed, jump traffic signals, park in no parking areas, etc., as it can impact your riding record. Follow the rules for a clean riding record.
Pay penalties on time: If you end up receiving a challan for traffic violations, ensure you pay the fine on time to avoid additional penalties to maintain a good riding record.

Frequently asked questions

Here are common questions about the clean riding record and its impact on vehicle insurance.

Will a bike accident impact my riding record?

If the accident was your fault and the First Information Report (FIR) is filed, your riding record will be affected.

How will a bike accident affect my bike insurance?

An accident will result in damages to your bike. You have to raise a claim to repair the damages. By raising a claim, you lose out on benefits such as NCB. Additionally, multiple claims can impact your riding record negatively, and you may be considered a high-risk profile, which can shoot up the premium amount.

Why is it important to maintain a clean riding record?

Apart from your safety, it is also important to maintain a clean record because it affects your bike insurance premium. Having a clean riding history means you are a low-risk profile to insurers, and hence you pay lower premiums than a high-risk profile rider.

Does a bad riding record affect bike insurance claims?

Yes, a bad riding history can impact insurance claims due to unsafe riding behaviour.

I have not received any traffic violation challans. Does that mean I have a clean riding record?

Yes, if you have followed traffic rules and regulations and adhered to safe riding practices.

Can insurers know from how long I have been riding?

Yes, insurers can know how long you have been riding based on the date of issue of your driving licence.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. It is based on industry experience and several secondary sources on the internet; and is subject to changes. Please go through the applicable policy wordings for updated ACKO-centric content and before making any insurance-related decisions. Explore More: