GENERAL INSURANCE BLOG

Winter brings with it a change that most people welcome. The cold temperatures and delightful food choices make it a pleasant period of the year. Despite the enjoyable climate that makes one seek warmth and comfort from cosy cafes and piping hot winter delicacies, it is a time that you must watch out for health issues.

The drop in temperatures and shortened daylight leads to frequent sickness. In such times, taking good care of your well-being and purchasing a health insurance policy is key to saving on medical costs that may arise due to contingent illnesses. If not taken good care of, health in winter can take a toll and become frustrating due to the uninvited expenses.

While maintaining good health, purchasing or renewing health insurance online is the most important tip for preparing for a healthy winter. Here are a few tips you can follow throughout the upcoming winter months to stay fit while enjoying the season the most!

1. Practising good hygiene:
While this may seem like a no-brainer, good hygiene is the easiest way to prevent catching even the most insignificant cold. The low temperatures and damp environment facilitate microbial growth that can lead to compromised immunity, leading to falling sick often. Wash your hands regularly, especially when you visit public spaces and restaurants, use public transport services and washrooms, etc.

2. Focus on your food intake:
Healthy food has been considered preventive medicine and fuel for one's body, especially in the Indian culture. We usually emphasise immunity-boosting foods like ginger, turmeric, etc. Coupled with fresh produce, these foods rich in vitamins and minerals like Vitamin C are sure to reduce your susceptibility to illness during the cold months.

3. Stay active:
Bundling up in your most comfortable blanket with a hot beverage to combat the cold is highly tempting. While your food choices can provide you with most of the required nutrients to keep you healthy throughout the season, some requirements, like Vitamin D, can only be supplied by exposing yourself to sunlight. Even a short walk in the early morning will improve your mood and keep you active and warm.

4. Ensure adequate sleep:
Sleep is an essential factor that is often overlooked when discussing health. It not only helps fight tiredness and stress but also allows you to wake up refreshed and ready to take on another day with new energy. Adults require a minimum of 7 hours of sleep daily. Provide your body with enough rest to recover and rejuvenate to ensure that it can function effectively and keep you healthy.

5. Dress appropriately:
In recent times, it has been noticed that winters aren't as chilly as they used to be. While present temperatures are noticeably less cold than previous trends, it is still necessary to keep yourself warm. Sometimes, our body does not recognise a cold draft, and staying exposed to it without enough clothing is bound to result in health issues.
In these situations where the weather doesn't warrant wearing heavy winter wear, simply layer on a few lightweight fabrics. These will keep you warm against a slight chill without being too heavy.

6. Quit smoking:
For smokers, foggy winter mornings may seem like an invitation to smoke to keep themselves warm. Smoking suppresses the immune system's normal functioning, which puts smokers at greater risk of falling ill in winter. It is best to quit smoking early and keep chest and lung-related problems at bay.

The cold climate makes one feel lazy and dull, but take the time to keep yourself in the best shape possible. Engage in light exercise daily, dress warm and ensure that you consume fresh food that will boost your immunity. While these tips can help prevent diseases, we encourage you to check your health insurance and purchase or renew health insurance online with just a few clicks so that winter doesn't get harsh on you!

Click HERE to renew health insurance online.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

We all must have travelled by road at night, either by choice or due to some emergency. We try to stay awake and attentive while driving, no matter what happens. Then sleep starts taking over. We feel drowsy but continue to drive, feeling strong enough to stay awake with focus. But, this can be a fatal situation for the driver and others on the road.

So how can we avoid sleeping while driving during the night? Let us go through some of the best tips for the same.

1. Do not drive for long distances alone:
Never try to drive alone for over 4-5 hours, especially at night. Always take a co-passenger along who can drive. This has two advantages. Firstly, you can change shifts with him and rest in the middle of a long journey. Secondly, you will have someone to talk to, which will take your boredom away, and you will stay attentive and awake. If you cannot find a friend or a family member to accompany you for the trip, hire a driver and take him along.

2. Do not drive when you are sleep deprived:
Always ensure that you have slept well for at least 8 hours the night before you plan to drive at night. A proper night's sleep keeps you fresh, and you will not feel drowsy when in the driving seat. Sleep deprivation is one of the major causes of making you fall asleep while driving.

3. Park and take a nap:
What to do if you are sleepy but still have to continue your journey because it is urgent? Park your car on the side of the road, and take a nap for half an hour or so. This will do wonders for you and make you feel refreshed, awake, and alert again. Have some water and wash your face to recharge yourself and continue driving.

4. Turn on some music:
Turn on music that you love on your car stereo and hum with the songs. This will keep your mind alert, and you will feel fresh. Music stimulate your brain and keep you mentally awake.

5. Take caffeine and snacks:
Caffeine is a proven stimulant that helps you to stay awake and alert. Take regular coffee or tea breaks during your drive to help you fight drowsiness. Also, you can keep munching something while you drive. Get out of your car, roll down your windows, and take fresh air, coffee, and snacks.

6. Do not drink and drive:
Taking alcohol before or while driving at night seriously threatens your ability to stay awake and drive with focus. It is prohibited, and even one drink will make you sleepy if you have not had a good night's sleep the previous night or are feeling drowsy. You will feel low in energy, start losing concentration and can meet with an accident.

Sleeping while driving during the night can be life-threatening for you, your co-passengers, and even third parties and other vehicles around you. But it can happen to anyone. Sleep is sometimes uncontrollable, but the factors that can make you sleepy are surely controllable. Follow the above practises and have a safe night's journey.

Before heading out on a car trip, you must purchase personal accident insurance in addition to your car insurance. It will cover disablement and bodily injuries, impairment, and even loss of life while travelling. It becomes all the more essential if you frequently travel by road at night as the chances of accidents increase manifold at that time. Do your research well and choose the best personal accident policy in India.

Click HERE to buy the best personal accident policy in India.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Every industry undergoes some reform from time to time. This can be due to various reasons- changes in the country’s economic conditions, level of crisis, the impact of international and national markets, contribution to the nation’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product), budget regulations and much more. Several types of insurance act as investment plans, help you in a financially stress-free emergency, provide tax-saving benefits, and ensure a secure future for your loved ones and dependents.

Does the insurance sector undergo changes and reforms on a large scale too? The answer is yes. The premiums, terms and conditions, age limits, benefits, renewal, etc., are reviewed and revised when needed. This ensures that the insurance matches pace with the current economic conditions, the situation in the market and the demands of an existing and potential set of customers. And if you are someone who has purchased insurance policies or is planning to explore your options in the sector for all the good reasons, you need to stay updated with the changes.

This blog will discuss the revised terms and reforms you need to be aware of in the insurance industry. So, let’s get started!

The pandemic caught the eyes of the insurance sector reforms:

The covid-19 pandemic brought the entire world to a very unexpected halt. Given the pace of development and technological advancement, the pandemic situation across the globe was beyond the people’s and government’s imagination. While people were under lockdown, several opportunities opened up, and many sectors, mainly fintech, saw massive growth. In the insurance sector, which is majorly categorised into life, health and general insurance, the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) limit is increased to 74 per cent from 49 per cent as per the new Insurance Amendment Bill 2021 passed in the Indian Parliament.

This was primarily focused on getting more foreign investments onboard. Why? The insurance sector is considered a good investment option. It is a capital concentration with a long development period. It takes at least seven to ten years to start making profits apart from their regular budget, retention and expenditure.

What does the FDI reform ensure:
The FDI reform discussed in the previous point will open up multiple avenues for investment in the insurance sector. This will significantly aid them in growth and expansion, even overseas. The whole loop continues and might attract more foreign interests, thus helping them flourish economically, eventually providing new features and insurance options for the customers such as

1. Pay-as-you-use motor insurance plan has now been ideated into the motor insurance framework. This would enable the customers and policyholders to reduce their premiums as per reduced coverage by availing of the switching on and off options.

2. Health insurance plans have been customised to comprehensively understand the needs of people during stressful times of covid. The comprehensive health insurance policies have incorporated mental health issues, covid-19 problems, modern procedures and treatments, etc.

Health insurance providers have been permitted to raise or reduce the health insurance policy premiums by almost fifteen per cent after three years. This is considered a significant reform in the health insurance sector and the pricing of these policies.

Some other reforms were accomplished regarding insurance awareness programs to ensure that people from the remote sectors of the country know the benefits of insurance policies and can avail a secure future, introduction of digitalisation of KYC and verification processes for the convenience of the existing and potential customers, 24*7 online help assistants, etc.

These were some updated terms and reforms you need to be aware of in the insurance industry. Insurance coverages help secure a financially stress-free situation when you encounter unprecedented circumstances that can endanger your health, assets or life. So, a wise option would be to explore all your options from the comfort of your home and buy insurance policy online that would cater to your needs in the best ways possible.

Click HERE to know more about how you can buy insurance policy online.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.

Have you ever been driving around and seen someone cutting it too close to your car's bumper? If yes, you are familiar with tailgating. For those unaware of the term, tailgating happens when there is insufficient space between your car and the one in front of you or behind you.

The likelihood of a collision increases with just one forceful brake from the vehicle in front. Tailgating increases the risk of accidents, making it essential for car owners to protect their vehicles. Also ensure that you avail of online motor insurance renewal services offered by your preferred insurer.

While insurance can help you safeguard your vehicle and yourself from financial contingencies, here are some tips to prevent tailgating.

What are the risks of tailgating?

A significant risk of tailgating is that drivers do not provide adequate space to stop if the vehicle in front suddenly decelerates which more likely makes a rear-end collision. A multi-car pileup that starts with one rear-end accident is expected to spread. Accidents involving a rear-end often result in neck and back injuries.

Another risk of tailgating is that it can create pressure on the vehicle's driver in front to apply the brakes to dissuade the tailgater. When the front driver performs what is known as a brake check, an impending collision may result if the foot is held down for even a brief period. In the worst case, brake inspections can also spark road rage among tailgaters.

Ways to prevent tailgating.

Driving too close to the car in front is the main reason for tailgating. Maybe you're upset or impatient and hurried. Whichever one it is, tailgating puts you and other drivers in danger every time.

Here are some tips to help you maintain a safe distance.

1. Understand the distances you often stopover:
The variation depends on how quickly you're moving. You might get into problems if you can't stop in this amount of time. Remember that stopping distances increase in wet circumstances, so be cautious and give the car in front of you enough room. You should raise the spacing by up to 10 times on slippery roads and at least double it in wet conditions.

2. Maintain your calm:
Avoid venting your frustration to other drivers if you feel irritated, furious, or exhausted. Stay at home until you feel better, or pause to unwind and regain focus before resuming your driving. It costs nothing to drive courteously and makes everyone's journeys safer.

3. Make use of your car safety features:
Nowadays, many vehicles feature collision warning systems that warn drivers if they approach the car in front too closely. Utilise such devices, but don't entirely depend on them. Always follow the road regulations rather than pushing your car's technology to its limit.

Driving is a skill that requires significant experience to master. Keeping calm and efficiently managing situations like tailgating is an indicator of an experienced driver. While you may not be able to control other drivers and their behaviour on the road, you can always ensure your vehicle's safety by following the above tips. Also, remember to avail an online motor insurance renewal service or purchase a new motor insurance policy to protect yourself from financial losses due to an accident.

Click HERE to proceed to online motor insurance renewal.

Disclaimer: The information provided above is for illustrative purposes only. To get more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before purchasing a policy.