Bad weather driving and your car insurance in Singapore

Singapore is a very safe place to live. If you’ve been here for any significant amount of time, we’re sure you will agree with this sentiment. And if you’re an expat here, the safety that exists in Singapore may have been a deciding factor for your move here, or at least may have been a consideration. Singapore isn’t considered safe for only one reason, either. People here can have peace of mind that they are living in a safe locale for a number of different reasons.

First of all, the crime rate in the Lion City is exceptionally low. The murder rate of 0.3 per 100,000 people is among the world’s lowest. The city-state is hands-down one of the most peaceful locations in the Asia-Pacific region, ranking 21st in the world and 2nd in Asia, according to the 2017 Global Peace Index. Furthermore, Singapore is largely unaffected by huge natural disasters, as earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons are, for the most part, not much of a concern to the nation. Floods and fires are always possible, but still, Singapore has it pretty good compared to other countries.

With that said, we still all need to be diligent when driving in order to maintain our relative level of safety. After all, even if you live in the safest place in the world, deadly car accidents still occur, and driver error always leads to some level of risk being present on roadways. This is even truer when people end up driving in inclement weather. Here, Kwiksure Singapore discusses the prospect of driving in bad weather, and what effect it has on your Singapore private car insurance coverage.

Bad weather in Singapore

Driving in Singapore is quite civil compared to driving in the developing world, and on-par with driving in other developed countries. Still, no matter the condition of the roads or the level of adherence to local traffic laws that is seen in a given locale, the fact remains that accidents go up whenever there is inclement weather.

The #1 concern when it comes to poor weather driving in Singapore is simply wet roads caused by heavy rain leading to slick surface and ‘hydroplaning’. As it happens, it rains in Singapore an average of 167 days every year, and the mean annual rainfall from 1981-2010 was 2165.9mm. Of course, if global trends are any indicator, the average annual rainfall over the past 8 years has risen significantly.

Another poor weather condition that you may realistically encounter while driving in Singapore is low visibility caused by fog or smog. If visibility is low, be sure to turn on your headlights and drive very carefully. Don’t be afraid to pull off the road and wait for conditions to improve if visibility is low to the point that you feel unsafe driving.

Finally, high winds are a weather event that could make driving difficult, and fill roads with debris. Be aware of this when driving under high wind conditions.

Bad weather and car insurance

There are different types of car insurance in Singapore. It’s important to keep in mind that, when it comes to the 2 main types of car insurance, only one will provide any benefits for damage to your car sustained in a weather related accident. While third party liability motor insurance is the minimum amount of coverage you can have to legally be allowed to drive in Singapore, this type of insurance only provides benefits for damages or injuries that third parties caused by you and your vehicle. This means that third party liability insurance does not provide benefits for damages to your vehicle due to an accident caused by bad weather, such as sliding off the road into a ditch in the middle of a thunderstorm.

To properly address such damages to your car, you would need comprehensive car insurance. This type of insurance is more expensive, but will ensure that you are always able to cover the costs of repair to your vehicle, come what may.

Now, as far as driving in bad weather conditions in Singapore, would doing so cause a potential motor insurance claim to be denied by your insurance provider? To answer this question, it really will pay to consult your policy documentation. This is because, while many comprehensive insurance policies will cover damages sustained due to bad weather, it can also be the case that damages in such situations would not be covered. This is especially true in cases of extreme weather, like a flood or typhoon, where public warnings are issued in the interest of safety.

It’s also important that you do not intentionally drive your car into any situations where it should obviously not be, or drive you car in a manner that could be deemed unreasonably dangerous for current weather conditions. If your insurer believes that damages to your car were sustained primarily due to negligence on your part, they may deny a claim on your comprehensive policy.

Avoid bad weather accidents

There are many measure that you can take to avoid getting into a wreck when the weather is bad, including:

• Stay off the roads – First and foremost, the best way to avoid being in an accident due to poor weather is to not be driving in it in the first place.

• Check your tires – New tires should be purchased when the tread on your current tires becomes worn. There are tires available that are designed to prevent slipping when roads are wet, so you will likely want to have these on any vehicle you drive in Singapore. Also, make sure your tires are properly inflated to minimize wear and maximize performance.

• Drive safely – If you do have to drive in inclement weather, be sure to drive defensively, and at a safe speed. All the drivers on the road have increased risk of having an accident when it’s rainy, so be aware of the vehicles around you, as well as the road ahead of you. Also, don’t try to force your vehicle through any potentially flooded roads, as your engine could become flooded, which could lead to damages to your car.

• Documentation – Should you get into an accident due to poor weather, contact the authorities once you are safe, and be sure to document the damages and any collateral evidence that may be relevant to your insurer. This will help your chances of being reimbursed for damages.

Contact us

So now that you’ve got the skinny on driving in bad weather in Singapore and how that might impact your car insurance, you know that you’ll want to possess high quality coverage to address any costs related to bad weather accidents. In order to find the best such policy on the market that can address your specific needs, partner with a trusted and knowledgeable car insurance broker like Kwiksure Singapore!

We will consider your details and find you appropriate plans to suit them. Then we will let you compare car insurance plans and give you price quote for free. You can also use our website and car insurance calculator Singapore to get a free online quote, too. Contact us today!