Protect your Windscreen With Insurance – Brought To You By Tune Protect

Many of us may have experienced a broken car windscreen due to being hit by stones or unidentified objects while driving.

Even worse is when the windscreen gets smashed by someone trying to steal your belongings!

Whatever it is, it’s dangerous to drive around with a cracked windscreen as the crack may expand and eventually shatter, possibly injuring occupants in the car. So, it is best that the damaged windscreen gets replaced as soon as possible.

However, it is not cheap to replace a vehicle’s windscreen. So, what you can do is get it insured!

Did you know that for an extra premium, you can extend your existing comprehensive car insurance to cover your windscreen as well?

How do you get windscreen insurance and what does it cover?

When you renew your comprehensive insurance policy, you can inform the agent to add windscreen insurance. It covers your front, side (door glass), sunroof and back rear windscreen if it’s chipped, cracked or shattered, and the cost is 15% of sum insured.

As a guide, below is the coverage which you may be looking at.

For example, a Proton Saga or Perodua Myvi (car value is <RM 50k) would insure their windscreen for RM 1,000 and the premium is RM 150. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz or a BMW (car value >RM 250k) owners would insure their windscreen for RM 5,000 and the premium is RM 750.

However, the price varies depending on your car model. So, check with your car dealer or workshop on the exact price for your windscreen replacement so that you are sufficiently protected.

The insurance covers for both repair and replacement, including cost of windscreen, sealant, molding and labour – full work in getting your windscreen back to its original state, within the sum insured.

If you have a small chip or crack, it’s best to get it repaired soonest before it spreads and require screen replacement. If it’s just a repair, you would not exhaust the full sum insured, thus you may still enjoy the unutilized sum insured after you make the claim, provided that the relevant endorsement is done to reduce the sum insured of windscreen after the claim has been approved and settled.  

What happens to my NCD?

Claims made for windscreen will not impact your comprehensive insurance, so your no-claim discount (NCD) is not affected.

There is a difference between claims for windscreen replacement vs. repair.

For example, when a person buys RM 1,000 coverage with RM 150 premium for period of 1^st January to 31^st December and makes a claim on 15^th February;

• For windscreen replacement: For any amount of claim as long as it’s a replacement of windscreen, coverage will be void after claim is made. To continue enjoying this benefit until 31^st December, you need to reinstate the policy ie. pay RM 150 premium for RM 1,000 coverage.

Note: Premium is in full and not pro-rated for the remaining period.

• For windscreen repair: If your claim is less than sum insured, you can continue to enjoy the remaining coverage after claim is made i.e. If claim amount is RM 600, the policy will be endorsed to reduce the coverage amount and you can enjoy the balance of RM 400 coverage until 31^st December. If sum insured is fully utilized, coverage will be void and you can reinstate the policy if you wish to.

How do I Claim?

Once your windscreen is broken, you can send your car to panel workshops appointed by your insurance company. The panel workshops will assist on the documents required such as claim form, copy of insurance policy, identification card, car ownership registration card, replacement bill & photo of cracked screen, tint bill & warranty card and police report stating the cause of cracked screen.

Though these are the standard documents required, it may differ depending on your insurance company, so the panel workshop is able to assist.

Once the insurance company approves the claim, panel workshop will start the repair/replacement job. Your insurer will pay the cost (within sum insured) directly to the workshop and if the cost is more than your sum insured, you shall bear the difference. So, it is necessary to adequately insure your windscreen.

If there is no panel workshop nearby, call your insurer to ask whether they accept non-panel workshop and what the claim process is i.e. whether you need to pay first and file a claim later or claim amount is paid directly to the workshop.  

Also, take note of these:

• Before you visit the workshop, do give a call to check if the workshop has the windscreen stock for your car model. Especially for less common car models, the workshop may not keep the stock at all times.
• Some non-panel workshops may not have the runner service, thus you may need to submit your claim documents on your own.

That said, we hope that you have a better understanding on windscreen insurance and how it can benefit you.

This series on Car Insurance 101 is brought to you by Tune Protect.