In recent years we have seen how the electric car has progressed to a common mode of transport. The self-driving car is currently still in its infancy, but that could change quickly in the coming years. More and more modern cars already have techniques such as automatic parking or driving on the highway, and the moment that a car can do everything itself is getting closer. We can of course say a lot about this and today we are going to look at an interesting part that comes with this that you may not immediately think of. What will the car insurance for self-driving cars look like? Below we will look at a number of topics on what can happen.
What will happen to the insurance premium for a self-driving car?
The first important point is of course the amount of the insurance premium. Several people and research firms have looked at what could change with regard to car insurance. The first thing most have thought is that the premium will be higher than it usually is now. This is against the expectations of many people, because self-driving cars are in principle very safe. A person will generally make more mistakes than a car controlled by a computer. Nevertheless, it is expected that motor insurance, especially in the beginning, will see it as a risk and will therefore charge more premium, especially in the beginning. Finding cheap car insurance will therefore soon be a lot more difficult. A compare car insuranceis still very easy now, but how will that go with the arrival of the self-driving car? Are comparators prepared for this?
Then why is the risk higher according to car insurers?
The fact that car insurers see self-driving cars as a higher risk is mainly due to the fact that in the beginning there is a combination of self-driving cars and normal cars. This is of course not necessarily safer than it is now. That is why the risk is estimated about the same as with a normal car. Because a self-driving car is more expensive to purchase, the premium is also higher. In case of damage, of course, more must be compensated, which explains the higher premium.
What else can change?
More is likely to change than just higher premiums. The same studies have also shown that it may be car manufacturers who will from now on take out car insurance premiums, not insurance companies anymore. However, how and why is not yet completely clear. It is also suggested that manufacturers will only rent out cars, which will include car insurance. Another suggestion is that the insurance is included in the price, although this is not transparent and is therefore not seen as a good solution by many. Finally, it could be that you sign a contract with the manufacturer, which includes everything. All in all, there is still a lot of uncertainty and the future will have to show what it will be.
What do self-driving cars mean for other insurance policies?
It is also expected that self-driving cars can bring completely new insurance policies into the world. There are things that do not yet occur, but will soon be able to play a role in computer-controlled cars. Consider, for example, the risk of a car being hacked, which you can also insure against. A car can then be stolen remotely, making this risk much greater. Special insurance for this may then be an option. However, all this is still very unclear. Insurance and other people will certainly be working on it, but concrete plans are not yet known. In the coming decade, a lot will change in the field of cars, and with that automatically also in terms of insurance. As soon as we know more, we will of course let you know soon!