Challenges and solutions for drivers in case of an unforeseen road incident

Every year, a significant number of incidents happen on the national roads, and none of them are ever expected or budgeted. During winter the challenges and risks to which traffic participants are exposed increase significantly.

According to ASF’s latest 4 reported trimesters, in 2020, over 320.000 RCA claims have been filed. Out of those, 48% have not been solved, and 10% of them were solved with regression by Casco policy owners. In addition, the National Institute of Statistics recorded in 2020 a number of 22.836 accidents with injuries, and from these 5674 accidents happened in the winter months. What is interesting is that the number of insurance claims opened in winter is lower than in the rest of the year, but the damage is generally bigger which indicates a more severe series of incidents due to unfavorable weather conditions.

Unforeseen events on the road can arise at any time and a driver always faces some challenges. We mention two of them: what is the reliable, safe, but also the fast solution to transport the vehicle to the service, and also, how he will keep his mobility. For any business, a broken car leads to financial losses caused by the immobilization of the vehicle in the repair shop and unexpected costs that were not budgeted. Accidents are never planned, and they always cause interruptions in activity, having a direct negative effect on the business since the fleet is one vehicle short. These immobilizations can be more stressful in the present environment, where finding a rental car became harder and more expensive, because of the delays in delivery of new cars, due to the shortage of semiconductors. 

There are more aspects that a driver should keep in mind when thinking about costs. For example, if we talk only about towing the car involved in an accident and ensuring the transport back home, for instance from Constanta to Bucharest, the cost is around 300 euros. And if the driver wants to continue his journey, the cost for the rental of a compact car for a maximum of 7 days is approximately 500 euros. So, the total amount for this event will be 800 euros. This is, of course, on top of the costs directly related to the accident – be it engine failure or collision.

Usually, the car rental is the fastest solution for such situations, but few know that this cost can be borne by the insurer, based on the RCA policy of the car at fault, and the claim can be submitted straight by the rental car company in the owner’s name. Unfortunately, there is still a general lack of awareness in Romania about the right to claim a replacement vehicle in case of non-fault accident even though the settlement option based on the third party-liability (TPL) insurance policy has been around for a long time. Based on our own estimates, only a small minority of drivers, little above 10%, is claiming this right.

When an unforeseen event happens on the road, we understand how necessary it is to have someone helping you to reach the destination safely and with minimum discomfort or delay. In those moments, people need a transparent and prudent partner, which is why we strive to be proactive through all the solutions we are offering. At Autonom Assistance, we offer integrated mobility solutions with a large spectre: from consultancy in case of damage, replacement car, road assistance, guidance in submitting a claim, and even relocations services for your car. 

For companies, we provide custom-tailored fleet services and optimization of the cost. This type of subscription includes towing and transport services, replacement of the driver’s car during the repair period, and the possibility of cost settlement for an unlimited number of events during a year. What is important to note is that we offer a car similar to the damaged one, without restrictions in terms of milage within Romania, and without any other deposits, taxes or fees.