Rise of pay-as-you-go motor insurance
There is good news for car proprietors who do not drive a lot, however need to keep their vehicles insured though. Insurers are more and more beginning to use telematics statistics from automobiles to decide the premium costs of motor-car insurance policies based totally on a policyholder’s risk exposure, and the distance pushed. The ‘pay as you drive’ motor coverage regulations charge you a top rate based totally on the usage of the car, which translates right into a lower premium charge whilst the automobile is driven less, and higher when it is driven more.
This economical evolution in motor coverage policies has passed off following the advent of a regulatory sandbox by way of regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) that has allowed preferred insurance agencies to introduce tech-enabled concepts in motor own damage (od) policies. For instance, icici Lombard has launched a ‘pay as you use (payu)’ coverage in which the premium can be primarily based at the volume of the automobile’s real, or potential, use throughout the coverage’s insurance period. In case the gap included by means of the plan is exhausted, the policyholder can top up the gap included all through the policy length. A variant of its payu plan is the insurer’s ‘pay how you use (phyu)’ plan that fees a premium as in line with the using behavior score of the policyholder.
A aggregate of the payu and phyu principles is bajaj allianz general insurance’s cover known as the ‘pay as you consume (payc)’ plan. Beneath it, your car is insured based totally for your car usage, and the top rate is calculated according to the gap driven annually, in conjunction with the policyholder’s riding behaviour. Normally, in such use cases, the using behavior is analyzed based on facts gathered by using a telematics device mounted in the vehicle. The driving metrics also can be recorded at the firm’s mobile app.
“The PAYC product was first conceptualized by us and launched in the IRDAI’s sandbox framework. When we witnessed the positive uptake of the product, and how it surpassed the success parameters set by the IRDAI, we decided to launch it in its entirety. PAYC gives customers the freedom to choose their insurance premium based on their vehicle usage ,”says tapan Singhal, md and CEO of Bajaj Allianz.
Similarly, go digit general insurance has released a ‘pay as you drive (payd)’ function for od policies. Under it, policyholders get a discount that applies to everybody using less than 15,000 km per year from the time the present owner bought the automobile from the showroom. The business enterprise makes use of odometer readings, telematics, and the space opted through the policyholder to offer this discount that could pass up to 25%.
These usage based policies are inexpensive for those with much less utilization, together with peoples living in small towns and those with more than one cars. It additionally fits individuals who do no longer drive vehicle lots, however still should pay higher premiums.


