As a vehicle owner you are legally bound to buy an insurance plan to drive your vehicle on the road. In Kenya as like elsewhere in the world the minimum you can settle for is a third party motor insurance plan. But buying motor insurance is nothing short of solving a riddle. There are dozens of plans to choose from in the market and each one claims to be the ‘best’. The moment you start reading through their policy documents you are lost in a mirage of insurance terminologies and various terms and conditions. Unless you are adept at choosing a plan there is every possibility that you would ‘pay more for a lesser cover’. So how do you go about choosing the right car insurance plans? Here in this short write-up we shall offer you insights into choosing the right plan that would take care of all your risks and also ensure complete value for money.

Type of Insurance Plan: Before you but insurance you need to understand the types of plans available. There are two types of motor insurance plans that are offered by insurance companies. They are –

  • Comprehensive Coverage – This is the most preferred insurance plan among vehicle owners. As the name suggests this plan offers you complete coverage that includes your own damage and all liability towards the third-party. These plans would also take care of theft and damage to your vehicle due to incidents of fire, vandalism and natural calamities.
  • Third Party Insurance – Third party motor insurance in Kenya would cover all kinds of damages to third-party as well as injuries and accidental death. These plans cover damage to property but doesn’t offer any cover to your own damage. Naturally these plans come at lower premiums compared to Comprehensive Insurance plans.

Know Your Risks: The choice of a right plan starts with knowing your risks and these depend on a lot of factors. To start with commercial vehicles that play more on the road have higher risks as compared to private ones. Another factor that you should keep in mind is the location where your vehicle would be driven. For instances the chances of collision in congested urban areas are higher compared to those in the countryside. Also if you are pushing a luxury sedan on bad roads the chances of damage are higher compared to that of an SUV which is meant for such kinds of roads. So it is extremely important for you to be aware of your risks before you choose a plan that would help in mitigating them.

Compare Plans Online: In a fragmented market such as Kenya where there are dozens of companies offering you motor insurance plans you need to compare them side by side. This is easier said than done if you take the traditional route as you would be overwhelmed with the number of comparisons you would need to make to find the best plan. This is where you need to turn to insurance aggregator websites in Kenya which list motor insurance plans from all the leading insurance companies in Kenya. These results would compare different plans side by side which help you choose one easily.

Choose Plans Carefully: Buying insurance online isn’t like shopping for a book or an apparel where most of your decisions are based on price factor alone. There are many plans that may appear attractive in terms of their pricing but deny you the coverage you would need in case of an unfortunate accident or incident. Thus as a thumb rule you should never choose a plan based on price alone and take a look at the inclusions and exclusions of the plan. This allows you to methodically compare plans from different companies and also realistically know what risks you would be protected against when you buy the insurance plan.

Talk To Experts: There are chances that after making all the comparisons you are still unable to zero in on a plan that would meet your needs. This is quite often the case with first time insurance buyers who are perplexed with different kinds of coverage. Also you may not have access to Internet and may not be adept in using this technology to make comparisons. This is where you need to talk to insurance experts who would guide you to the right comprehensive or third party motor insurance in Kenya. They listen to your queries and give you valuable feedback over the telephone. These people are different from insurance brokers and offer you unbiased suggestions on the best plans available in the market.

Keeping these things in mind would lead you to the right motor insurance plan that offers you maximum protection and also comes with an attractive premium. You must remember that quality time spent on researching a plan would help you make a wise choice and enjoy the benefits as long as you own the vehicle.

Author's Bio: 

Sophia Smith is experienced in motor insurance and helps his clients choose the right comprehensive and third party motor insurance in Kenya.