PitStopArabia discussed driving distance in our article titled “How Customers Affect their Car Insurance Premium”. We discussed how the amount you intend to drive influences the premium at the very beginning of the essay. This post will go into great detail on mileage and auto insurance. Many people aren’t aware that you have to tell your insurance provider how far you plan to drive. That, however, is not the real issue. The persistent issue that divides us all is how we are going to calculate the mileage. What happens if our mileage is much less or more than stated?
These are questions that demand answers. Let’s start.
HOW TO CALCULATE ANNUAL MILEAGE?
There are numerous techniques to figure out how many miles you travel annually. To determine whether the car is brand-new, simply look at the odometer. It will give you an idea of your annual mileage. Many people pay attention to the odometer when an newer vehicle. This makes tracking easier. If you failed to see the odometer, you shouldn’t be concerned.
Just take a quick look at the service records to get an idea. You must also consider your current personal condition. Do you have any immediate plans to keep working from home? Do you now make a daily commute to work? They all have an impact on the number of miles you log annually.
For instance, compared to someone who must commute every day, someone who works from home saves a lot of gas. Furthermore, it’s crucial to let the insurance company know if you transition from working from home to a job that requires commuting. Any changes must always be disclosed in writing or by email to the insurance provider. This helps you maintain accurate records that might be helpful.
What if this is your first time buying a car? What will you tell the insurance company given that you’ve never owned a car before and that you don’t know how many miles you’ll be traveling? The answer is once more provided by insurance companies. Your automobile can be equipped with telematics technologyso they can monitor your driving patterns and mileage. They might be able to calculate the price of your insurance more precisely as a result of this.
The UAE Insurance Authority is already working with interested companies to integrate telematics in cars to ensure safe driving among UAE citizens. If you choose not to use such technology, you should only record your weekly mileage. It can be used to calculate your annual mileage. PitStopArabia suggests accumulating additional miles for unplanned trips and vacations.
WHY MILEAGE MATTERS?
Insurance firms in the UAE and other parts of the world compute the insurance premium using a variety of methods. One of these metrics is mileage. An insurance claim is more likely if you drive more. A self-moving car that is driven more regularly than one that is driven less frequently is thought to have a higher risk of being in an accident. If you tell the insurance provider that you intend to drive 15,000 km instead of 10,000 km per year, the price will be higher.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU OVERSTATE OR UNDERSTATE THE MILEAGE?
PitStopArabia would like to emphasize that the main objective of this essay was to address that question. Naturally, a lot of you would be asking yourself the same thing. In order to get a better deal, some of us might even be tempted to exaggerate how much we drive annually. Before trying this, read the next paragraph.
If you mistakenly overestimate the mileage, it won’t be a problem. However, be sure to update the mileage to get a lower price when your insurance is renewed. The real issue is understatement, whether it is done intentionally or not. The insurance companies will have a basis to reject your claim if you knowingly understate the mileage. Your policy could perhaps be suppressed.
Usually, the insurance company would raise your premium rather than entirely reject your application for coverage. Although unlikely, it has happened to a few people. This should serve as a warning to anyone thinking about cutting back on their mileage in an effort to get a lower premium.
Andrew Parker