Suspension of car insurance: how it works and what to know
9/26/2022
In terms of insurance, one of the aspects being assessed is certainly that relating to savings: since not all motorists use their vehicles for the entire duration of the insurance coverage period, it is possible to suspend car insurance, provided that certain requirements. Companies such as Zurich Connect or all those who car insurance online and in the branch try to provide alternative solutions to temporary policies, in order to meet the needs of an increasingly large number of customers.
During the months of interruption, the payment of the premium to the insurance company is not foreseen and these months will not even be considered in the total count regarding the overall duration of the contract.
What is auto insurance suspension
When motorists decide to keep their vehicle stationary for a certain period during the insurance year, they can resort to suspension, freezing the policy and reactivating it at the end of the period of inactivity.
During the months of interruption, the payment of the premium to the insurance company is not foreseen and these months will not even be considered in the total count regarding the overall duration of the contract.
Furthermore, in the event of suspension, the car has no insurance coverage: in this case, circulation is prohibited and cannot be parked in public places. If the owner decides to move despite the insurance coverage having been suspended, he could face penalties: in fact, a fine amounting to between 868 and 3,471 euros is foreseen, but in case of reiteration over a two-year period he can suspension of the driving license for a period of two months, in addition to the provision for the seizure of the vehicle.
How auto insurance suspension works
The insurance companies autonomously and arbitrarily establish the constraints and conditions to be met in order to suspend the insurance, for example, by regulating all aspects relating to the maximum number of interruptions and their duration, which is usually provided for a minimum period. thirty days. The suspension also has a maximum duration not to be exceeded, which can be known at the time of stipulation of the policy.
Some companies tend to give their customers more freedom with regard to some options provided, but only upon payment of small amounts of money (generally between 20 and 30 euros). Therefore, it must be borne in mind that the suspension is governed by the contractual conditions that are accepted when the policy is stipulated, therefore before activating it it is advisable to view the information set available to understand how it works specifically and how to request it. .
Furthermore, the suspended insurance does not need to be reactivated on the covered vehicle before activating the option: it is possible to request activation on a new vehicle as long as the old one has been sold, scrapped, scrapped or exported abroad, provided that it belongs to the same type as the one used previously to take out the insurance.
The requirements for suspending car insurance
In order to suspend car insurance, the motorist must comply with certain requirements determined by the insurance company, which may be specific to each of them, and therefore, differ quite clearly, including:
- The suspension of the car insurance can be exercised only if the policy is for one year. This option cannot be activated in the case of temporary policies;
- In order to suspend the car insurance it is necessary to be up to date with the payment of the insurance premium and if payment in installments is envisaged, it is necessary to have paid all the installments in time;
- The suspension is not envisaged if there are financing or leasing agreements on the insured vehicle.
How to suspend car insurance
Suspending car insurance is not a complicated procedure, on the contrary it is quite easy, as the motorist concerned is simply asked to communicate to the insurance company, with which he took out the policy, the desire to suspend it for a certain period of time. This communication can take place in different ways, i.e. by telephone, by fax, e-mail and certified e-mail, by registered letter with return receipt, by going to an agency in the area, via the web by accessing the private area on the insurance website or via the official app, if available.
In order to proceed with the suspension, generally, it is sufficient to fill in a specific form, where it is required to enter all those data referable both to the insured vehicle and to the car owner of the policy. On this occasion, it is advisable to clearly specify all the dates relating to the beginning and end of the period of suspension of the car insurance.
Once the compilation phase has been completed, the customer will only have to wait for the insurance company to confirm the activation of the insurance suspension. It is therefore necessary that the activation of this option is provided for in the contract previously stipulated, especially since in some cases it is the insurer himself who decides, at his discretion, whether to grant the exercise.
