8 Ways Drivers Can Benefit From A Car Insurance With Value-Add Features

This post was written in collaboration with Singlife. While we are financially compensated by them, we nonetheless strive to maintain our editorial integrity and review products with the same objective lens. We are committed to providing the best recommendations and advice in order for you to make personal financial decisions with confidence. You can view our Editorial Guidelines here.

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Accidents can happen when you least expect them. Even if you’re an experienced and careful driver, others may not be — which is why you need to ensure that you, your passengers and your car are adequately protected.

Especially for those planning to buy a new car or renewing their car insurance, you’d want to make sure you pay a fair price for good value-add features… and don’t go for the cheapest plan just to “save some money”. Sometimes, extremely basic car insurance packages may not cover a lot of things and you may actually end up paying a lot more for damages. 

When buying car insurance, look out for key features such as sufficient coverage, a low No-Claim Discount penalty, and a seamless claims experience, amongst other perks.

Here are 8 ways drivers like yourself can benefit from a car insurance with value-add features: 

 

1. Low NCD penalty upon claims

Any driver would know that It’s hard work achieving your maximum No-Claim Discount (NCD) and maintaining it. I mean, reaching the highest NCD — 50% off your premium — takes five consecutive years, and even the smallest of accidents may throw you back to square one. 

As such, we might be wary about claiming on our car insurance (or even reporting the incident) because we don’t want to lose our hard-earned NCD. Some penalties include reducing your NCD50 by 30% when you make just 1 claim; if you make more than one claim in a year, you don’t get the NCD discount anymore.

To reduce the NCD penalty, it’s best to get a car insurance policy that has a lower NCD penalty when you make a claim. For example, Singlife’s Motor Standard Plan has one of the lowest NCD penalties when you make a claim, at just 10%.

So getting a policy that does not reduce your NCD by too much could help you save money in the long run, and you still can make claims (if needed) without worrying too much. 

 

2. Don’t lose out if it’s a no-fault accident

A no-fault accident is when you are not responsible for the accident; another driver bears the complete responsibility for it. For example, when the driver behind bangs into your precious car, and there’s no one in front of you.

You’ll want to get tons of pictures and video footage to give your car insurer all the details so that you can prove the accident was not your fault (and not pay for anything if everything is covered). However, in some cases, some insurers may still penalise your NCD or even charge excess upfront if your car is damaged. 

Singlife’s car insurance comes with a claims promise that ensures your NCD remains intact in a no-fault accident. There’s no upfront excess payment required if your car was damaged through no fault of the driver (you, or other named drivers). Win-win!

 

 

3. Get free breakdown assistance

Remember that time when your car unexpectedly broke down in the middle of a crowded road, or worse, on the expressway? It’s even worse if you’re ferrying your young kids, or your elderly parent or grown-up child was using your car. 

If you’re flustered, even calling for help and knowing what to do can evade you in the moment. Plus, who has the time to check all these things when your car breaks down in the middle of a busy expressway?!

Adding to the worry is also the extra money you may have to fork out for the car to be towed away or any other assistance you may need. 

To reduce your stress, make sure your car insurance provides free assistance for when you’re stranded on the road. Singlife’s Motor Standard plan provides free roadside assistance, while the Prestige Plan even has a 24-hour eCall assistance service where an emergency team will be on hand to help you. What a relief~

 

 

4. You could replace your car if it’s totalled

We hope it will never come to this, but in the event if it does (touch wood!), it would be good to have an insurance policy that states your car can be replaced if it is severely damaged.

You’ve already invested so much in your precious car. If it gets damaged again, the pain to your wallet will be even more painful than the pain to your pride. 

Some insurers like Singlife have policies that allow a completely brand new car replacement if your car is damaged within a 1-year period. Think of it like a laptop warranty, but better.

Singlife’s car insurance policy offers a brand new car replacement if: 

• The damage happened within 12 months 
• The accident repair cost is 70% more than its market value
• The car was purchased brand new (no second-hand cars)

 

5. Even your child seat is covered

This is a good feature to have for parents with young children who require a child seat.

Firstly, child seats don’t come cheap. Plus, please never reuse the damaged child seat if there’s been a prior accident because it wouldn’t be safe (the same reason why you shouldn’t buy a second-hand child seat or accept a hand-me-down).

Hence, it’s a bonus if your car insurance comes with coverage for the child seat — Singlife’s offers up to $250 coverage for a child seat if it is damaged in an accident, fire or theft. 

 

6. You get unlimited accident towing

We all try to avoid accidents, but you could just be super unlucky with other drivers. In such a case, the last thing you’d want is additional expense from the towing fee.  

With Singlife’s unlimited accident towing coverage — no matter how many times you have to request for towing — there’s no need to worry if you’re eligible or not eligible, how much you need to pay, or look for the cheapest tow company to come “rescue” your car when it’s stranded.

You can just arrange for the towing service and worry about the more important things like assessing the damage, taking pictures of the car/scene, exchanging details with the other party and checking yourself and your passengers for any injuries.

 

7. You get help with on-site accident reporting

In the event of an accident, wouldn’t it be handy to have someone you can just call to help you? Singlife’s Motor Standard Plan includes  on-site accident reporting where someone is on hand to help out while you check that you and your passengers are okay, or just try to calm down.

This helps you keep a cool head instead of getting all flustered if you’re involved in an accident. Remember, there are some things you must NEVER do if you’re involved in a car accident, such as claiming to be at fault, immediately agreeing on a settlement, failing to collect details and not reporting it to your insurer/the police (if necessary).

Read more: Remember the 4Cs of a Successful Car Insurance Claim — So You Don’t End Up Losing Money

 

 

8. You’re able to cover your medical expenses

This is usually what your personal accident insurance is for, but for some reason if you don’t have a personal accident insurance (or it’s insufficient), having a car insurance that can cover any medical expenses would lessen the burden on you. 

It’s good that Singlife’s car insurance offers coverage for you or your passengers’ medical expenses, up to $5,000 per claim.

 

Get up to 36% off Singlife’s car insurance plans

Every driver’s needs are different, but it certainly helps to have the option of value-add benefits in one’s car insurance plan. As they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry — at the very least, do ensure that both the driver(s) and car are sufficiently covered.

Singlife car insurance promotions

• Till 30 June 2021, get 25% off Singlife’s car insurance plans with promo code: WFH25
• Existing MINDEF, Ministry of Home Affairs and Public Officers Group Insurance Scheme (POGIS) holders get an extra 15% off on top of any ongoing promotion (new customers only)

Find out more about Singlife’s car insurance plans and sign up now.

 

 

Policy and promotion terms and conditions apply. The policy is underwritten by Singapore Life Ltd. The information here is for general information only. For more details, please refer to https://singlife.com/en/insurance/car. This policy is protected under the Policy Owners’ Protection Scheme which is administered by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC). Coverage for your policy is automatic and no further action is required from you. For more information on the types of benefits that are covered under the scheme as well as the limits of coverage, where applicable, please contact Singapore Life Ltd or visit the GIA or SDIC web-sites (www.gia.org.sg or www.sdic.org.sg)