IN Malaysia, all motor autos on the highway should be insured with authorized legal responsibility for loss of life or bodily damage to 3rd occasion, as required underneath the Street Transport Act 1987. This fundamental cowl shouldn’t be standard because the premium is simply barely decrease than third occasion cowl, which incorporates loss or injury to 3rd occasion property.
With out third occasion cowl, many drivers might not be capable to pay for repairs if there may be in depth injury to a different automobile. Due to this fact, older autos are insured underneath third occasion cowl if house owners don’t want to pay larger premium for complete insurance coverage that additionally covers injury and lack of personal automobile attributable to unintended fireplace, theft or accidents.
Nonetheless, the usual complete insurance coverage coverage merely supplies fundamental cowl and doesn’t embrace injury attributable to flood, windstorm, landslide and different pure disasters; or from malicious injury ensuing from strike, riot and civil commotion.
Premiums for added protection was once excessive, at half per cent of sum insured for flood cowl or RM500 each year for insuring RM100,000. Many insurers have lowered the speed to solely RM200 a yr for RM100,000 or RM100 for RM50,000, that are reasonably priced.
Whereas it’s prudent to incorporate flood cowl for complete insurance coverage, it’s higher to forestall autos from flood injury. Even when the insurer pays full compensation, the motive force is rendered motionless till a alternative automobile is out there to be used. As such, it’s foolhardy to aim driving by a flooded highway with fast-moving water flowing, as some stretches might have been washed away and might be too deep for vehicles to go by.
As for roadside parking, one ought to be cautious of flash floods attributable to blocked drains throughout heavy rainfall. Many drivers had been shocked to see their vehicles half-submerged in water after a downpour lately.
Every time there may be an choice to park on higher flooring or basement of a constructing, choose the previous over the latter. It’s because rainwater flows to the underside of a constructing and if water shouldn’t be pumped out in time, the basement can be the primary place to be inundated.
The identical goes for a lot of underpasses that depend on pumps to make sure that stretches beneath floor should not flooded, similar to these alongside Jalan Tun Razak on the junction of Jalan Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur, and at Jalan Chan Sow Lin, beneath the LRT metal bridge.
I’ve pushed by flooded roads many occasions previously however have been lucky. I’d first brace myself, swap off the air-conditioning, shift to the bottom gear and drive the automotive slowly however steadily with out stepping too onerous on the accelerator.
As soon as I’ve handed the flooded stretch, I’d gently step on the brakes a number of occasions to dry the brake pads or brake linings and proceed the journey at a slower velocity. Because of weatherstrips at 4 doorways, my vehicles had been waterproof with the inside remaining dry.
However one should be additional cautious throughout thunderstorms. Earlier than it rains, sturdy winds can convey down branches or total bushes crashing onto roads or passing autos. Homeowners concerned in such accidents can not declare insurance coverage if not coated for pure disasters.
Be conscious of insurance coverage proposals that provide massive compensation for ultra-low premium, it might be a rip-off. The premiums collected by insurance coverage corporations should be greater than sufficient to pay out claims and canopy overheads, plus earn earnings. For premiums to be reasonably priced, covers are restricted, and people insured should adjust to the phrases and situations.
It’s vital to know your motor insurance coverage protection with a purpose to deal efficiently with motor insurance coverage issues as many automobile house owners and drivers are ignorant at their very own peril.
YS Chan
