5 Reasons Why Car Insurance is Necessary for Driving at Hill Stations

There’s nothing like driving through a valley surrounded by mountains and lush vegetation. But hilly areas also have their fair share of challenges for car owners. Steeper terrain, heavy rainfall, and the risk of natural disasters expose you and your vehicle to a plethora of accidental and non-accidental damages. 

So, if you reside in a hill station or are planning your next vacation, don’t forget to get car insurance. To assist you with this task, we’ve compiled a list of common challenges drivers face in the mountains and reasons why car insurance for hill stations is an absolute necessity.

Challenges of Driving at a Hill Station

Common hurdles in your hillside cruise include:

• Faster Wear and Tear: Whether you’re climbing up or cruising down the hilly roads, you must constantly engage brakes, transmission, accelerator, and other components of your car. This can lead to faster degradation of parts, especially items like air filters, brake callipers, screws and nuts, etc.
• Congestion Roads: Hill stations mostly have single-lane roads that also witness rushes during holiday seasons. Again, this requires manoeuvring through small gaps and sharp turns, increasing the risk of minor bumps and fender benders.
• Limited Workshops: Repair shops located in remote hill stations usually source materials from towns in plains. So, professionals charge a higher price even for minor repairs.
• Risk of Natural Disasters: Extreme weather in the mountains increases the risk of natural disasters, especially landslides and flash floods. Getting stuck in such situations can expose your vehicle to major damages, including total loss. 
• Roadside assistance: Roadside assistance insurance is essential in hilly areas, where it serves as a critical safety net for travelers facing mechanical issues in remote locations. This add-on ensures immediate help with on-spot repairs, towing, and emergency fuel delivery, keeping your journey safe and uninterrupted.

How Does Car Insurance Help in Hill Stations?

Now that you are aware of the challenges, here’s how car insurance for hill stations can be helpful:

• Legal Compliance: The Indian Motor Vehicle Act mandates a fine of Rs 2,000 and three-month imprisonment for driving without car insurance. 
• Protection from Third-Party Liabilities: If an accident damages a third-party vehicle and causes injuries or death of a third party, third-party car insurance helps you compensate for the losses.
• Personal Accident Cover: Comprehensive car insurance includes personal accident cover, which compensates you for medical expenses arising from injuries and disabilities that you may suffer in an accident. It also protects nominees in case of the policyholder’s death.
• Protection from Total Loss: If a landslide, flood, or any natural calamity results in irreparable damage or total loss of your car, the own-damage component of comprehensive car insurance compensates you for the losses.  
• Protection from Theft and Vandalism: The own-damage cover also protects you from other causes that are out of your control, like theft, vandalism, and riots.

Best Car Add-Ons for Hill Stations 

Whether you reside in a hilly area or are going on a trip to one, you can customize your car insurance coverage to the unique needs of highland driving. Here are some useful add-ons worth your consideration:

• Tyre Protection Cover: This add-on pays for the repair or replacement of tyres due to non-accidental damages. This is especially helpful in hills where frequent landslides and floods damage the roads, spreading debris and sharp objects that can damage tyres.
• Engine Protection Cover: Heavy downpours in hill stations often lead to flash floods, increasing the risk of water damaging the engine and its components. An engine protection add-on compensates you for such losses.
• Roadside Assistance Cover: This add-on is a lifesaver if you’re travelling to remote hill stations with limited repair facilities. With this rider, you can request your insurer to provide on-spot repair service and towing facility in case you have a dead battery, flat tyre, empty fuel tank, etc., in the middle of the road. 
• Consumables Cover: Consumable items like nuts and bolts, air filters, brake shoes, etc., degrade over time and are often replaced as part of regular maintenance. In the event your car needs repairing, this cover ensures you don’t have to pay for consumables out of your own pocket.
• Zero Depreciation Cover: When you claim repairs and replacement of parts, the insurer deducts depreciation from the claim amount. Zero depreciation add-on allows you to get the maximum claim amount without considering the depreciation of car parts. 
• Return to Invoice Cover: In case of total loss of car or theft, this add-on requires insurers to pay you the amount equal to the car’s original on-road price without deducting depreciation. 

Key Takeaways

Driving in hilly areas is definitely fun, but it also has many dangers. Single-lane roads, congested traffic, and frequent landslides expose owners to various damages, ranging from faster wear and tear to major accidents, including total loss. That’s why you must get car insurance for hill stations to ensure safety during unforeseen events.

Consider platforms like PhonePe for a seamless insurance purchasing experience.