Does Your Car Insurance Cover Off-road Driving?

What is Off-road Driving?

Many car owners enjoy the thrill of driving a car on unexplored paths, and driving on natural paths gives them immense pleasure. Whereas, for some car owners driving off-road is a profession.

Off-road driving is driving on natural surfaces like rocks, sand, snow, mud, gravel, etc. There are several vehicles specifically designed for the purpose of off-road driving, as driving regular vehicles/cars off-road can cause accidents and damage the vehicles.

Here are some examples of off-road driving:

• Off-road racing

• Dune bashing

• Rock crawling

• Cross-country

• Mudding and mud plugging

• Competitive trials

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Off-road driving involves several risks like vehicle malfunctioning, poor visibility, error in judgement, etc., as the driving is done on unexplored roads with no facilities like quality roads, street lights, etc.

Does Car Insurance cover off-road driving?

Every day nearly 1400 accidents occur on Indian roads; that's why securing your car with Motor Insurance is necessary. As per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is mandatory to have a third-party car insurance policy if you want to drive on a public road. However, it is advisable to buy a Comprehensive Car Insurance Policy in order to cover the third party as well as your own car damage.

With the several risks involved in off-road driving, many insurance companies consider off-road driving as an adventure sport. Hence, off-road driving is specifically added to the list of exclusions by many insurers. However, all the comprehensive motor insurance policies cover the accidental damages to your own car. Hence, to cover the possible damage to your car, you need to buy a Comprehensive Motor Insurance Policy.

What are the types of insurance cover for off-road driving?

Although your car insurance company might not specifically provide the off-road driving cover, it still covers the accidental damage to your car. However, buying only the mandatory third-party insurance will not offer you this cover.

Therefore, to ensure the off-road driving is covered under your policy, you should buy a Comprehensive Motor Insurance Policy. It has a wider coverage as it provides coverage to third-party injuries and damages as well as own car damage.

However, if you already have a third-party insurance policy, you can consider buying your own damage cover. Your existing third-party insurance will cover you against third-party liabilities, and your own damage cover will provide insurance coverage for your own car damage.

So, you can choose either a Comprehensive Car Insurance Policy or Own Damage Cover to cover the off-road driving. However, like any other type of insurance, there are certain situations under which the own damage will not be covered. It typically involves risks like normal wear and tear, driving without a valid license, drinking and driving, speed racing, etc.

If you often drive off-road or have a vehicle specifically designed for off-road driving, buying add-on covers suitable for off-road driving makes sense. You can buy these add-on covers by paying some extra premium and ensuring that the off-road driving damages are taken care of. Here are some add-on covers that are suitable for off-road driving you can buy:

1. Roadside Assistance Cover: It provides on-road assistance service in case of a breakdown on the road.

2. Tyre Protect Cover: It covers the damaged tyres and tubes of the car due to an unfortunate event during off-road driving.

3. Consumables Cover: Repairs and replacements of consumable items like nuts, screws, engine oil, grease, etc., are covered under the Consumables Cover of Car Insurance.

4. Engine Protect Cover: It provides coverage to the car's engine and its parts that suffer damage due to mechanical or electronic breakdown.

To Conclude:

Off-road driving is thrilling but, at the same time, a risky activity. Hence, it is crucial to take all the safety precautions when driving off-road. Having a Comprehensive Car Insurance Policy will ensure you have third-party as well as own damage cover. However, only car insurance is not sufficient for off-road driving requirements. You should also buy suitable add-on covers to meet your off-road driving needs. Along with the right insurance cover, it is equally important to take necessary safety precautions to avoid such unfortunate events in the first place.

Warm Regards,
Ketki Jadhav
Content Writer