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In this post, discover 5 ways to know if a vehicle is insured, learn about the types of coverage that exist in the market and the penalties for not having mandatory civil liability insurance.
What is vehicle insurance? Discover the importance of hiring him
In recent years, the figures for road accidents recorded by the National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Information Technology (INEGI) of Mexico have remained at worrying levels and even continue to rise: 340,400 traffic accidents and more than 4,400 fatalities the final balance of the year 2022.
Meanwhile, the outlook for 2023 does not look much better and, given this, vehicle insurance is increasingly taking on a more important role for public safety and the financial stability of all road users, especially those who own or drivers of cars, motorcycles and any other motor vehicle that circulates in national territory.
But what is Business car insurance? In simple words, it is a policy contracted through an insurance company, which can offer different coverages, although its main function is to protect your assets, to the passengers who go with you in the car or to any person who may be involved in traffic accidents.
In Mexico, the Federal Law on Roads, Bridges and Motor Transport requires every owner of a motor vehicle to contract basic civil liability insurance. This became a federal requirement in 2019, and state regulations also list it as a required driving document .
Types of auto insurance: basic or comprehensive coverage
In Mexico, insurance companies offer different types of auto insurance , according to the coverage that is needed. Thus, on the one hand, it is possible to identify civil liability insurance and comprehensive coverage , which extend said coverage and offer additional services, as you will see in detail:
1. Civil liability insurance: It is the type of mandatory policy for all vehicles that circulate on the streets of Mexico, in all its federal entities. Its coverage is intended to insure material and personal damage that may result from a road accident. This includes:
- Civil liability of goods and people.
- Legal defense and judicial assistance.
- Medical expenses of vehicle occupants.
This means that, if you suffered a collision or run over on public roads and caused damage to another vehicle or bodily injury to its occupants, the basic coverage insurance will be responsible for responding to the expenses derived from the accident.
In this sense, the minimum amount required by current traffic regulations is $100,000 for personal damages (injuries and death), while for material damages it is $50,000.
2. Comprehensive coverage automobile insurance : Another alternative offered by insurers are comprehensive coverage policies , which extend the minimum coverage required by the Transit authorities and, in addition, offer other services that are very useful when you have to go through this kinds of complex situations.
Thus, some extra services that you can find in comprehensive coverage insurance are the following:
- Material damage.
- Vehicle theft.
- Civil liability for goods and people.
- Legal defense, legal assistance and bail payment.
- Medical expenses of the occupants of the damaged vehicle.
- Road assistance for mechanical or electrical failures.
- Cranes and assistance en route.
- Natural disasters.
Any of these alternatives will help you better deal with an unfortunate situation such as a traffic accident. In these cases, it will be necessary to intervene in the vehicles involved as little as possible, call the Police to record what happened, and then contact the insurer to give notice and request the necessary compensation and repairs .
How do I know if my car has valid insurance?
Whether you are buying a used vehicle or because you have been contracting compulsory car insurance with the same company for many years, it is very important to be attentive and know the effective date of a policy , because, although these generally have a duration of 1 year , it could be invalidated for any of the following reasons:
- For non-payment of payment in insurance installments, after the 30 days of grace that insurers usually give.
- Deliver false information about the vehicle at the time of contracting the insurance.
- For total loss of the car.
- For breach of contract by the owner of the vehicle.
For this reason, considering that unforeseen events appear at the least expected moment and that it is a mandatory document, it is advisable to make sure if the car policy is in force or if it has already expired, which means that you will have to renew it as soon as possible if you want to avoid fines and other penalties.
For example, at the federal level, the Law on Roads, Bridges and Federal Motor Transport sets a fine ranging from 20 to 40 Units of Measurement and Update (UMA) , which corresponds to approximately $4,000, according to the values in force for the year. 2022.
State traffic regulations also impose sanctions on drivers who drive through the streets in cars or motorcycles that are not insured. In this article, find out about the fines you could receive in the main states if you are caught by the authorities driving without carrying your valid compulsory insurance certificate.
Know if I have current insurance by reviewing the contract
The first way you will have to verify the validity of your car insurance is to review the insurance contract signed between you and the insurance company or the cover of the policy that is delivered when completing the contracting process.
In either of the two documents, you can check the effective dates , that is, from when to when the insurance operates and what is the due date of the payments, so that you always keep it in mind and do not forget to comply with the quotas , in case you have chosen to pay in installments.
Find out if I have current insurance by contacting the insurer
A second alternative that will allow you to find out if your vehicle is protected by automobile insurance or if its validity has already expired, is to call the company with which you contracted the service directly or consult through the consultation channel available on its website, according to the case.
Other companies also have mobile applications that you can activate from your cell phone and report road accidents or ask questions with just a few clicks on the screen. Also take advantage of this means of contact and check the validity of your insurance quickly and easily.
- Find out if I have valid insurance at the offices of my insurer
As with the previous option, in addition to calling your insurer or contacting it via the web, you can consult directly at the offices of the company with which you contracted said policy.
However, consider that, for this, it will be necessary for you to know in advance which is the company where the coverage was last paid, something that will not be possible if you recently bought the car and want to find out if its documentation is up to date.
On the portal, you will be able to find out the effective dates of the insurance for any used vehicle, as long as it has been contracted at one of the following financial institutions :
- Ana Insurance Company
- Axa Insurance
- Chubb Insurance Mexico
- The Eagle Insurance Company
- General Insurance
- HDI Insurance
- The Latin American Insurance
- Mapfre Mexico
- Qualitas Insurance Company
- Insurance Affirm
- Atlas Insurance
- Banorte Insurance
- BBVA Bancomer Insurance
- Potosi Insurance
- Inbursa Insurance
- Surah Insurance
- Zurich Insurance Company
Consider that, to make a query about a used vehicle, you will need to have the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the car or motorcycle in question. Also, remember that new policies and modifications may take between 24 and 48 hours to appear on this page and that the vehicle owner’s data does not appear.
