“Avtograzhdanka” was heard in breadth – Newspaper Kommersant No. 168 (7369) of 09/13/2022

From September 13, insurers will calculate the cost of an OSAGO policy for motorists according to new rules: the Central Bank’s instruction comes into force, expanding the price corridor of the current base rates by more than a quarter. “Avtograzhdanka” for accident-free and experienced drivers should be cheaper, for novice motorists who get into an accident, on the contrary, it will rise in price. Insurers interviewed by Kommersant say that it is not worth waiting for a reduction in OSAGO prices: spare parts for repairs have become too expensive. Independent experts fear that a significant part of motorists will prefer not to purchase a policy at all, but the Russian Union of Motor Insurers (RSA) refutes these forecasts.

When calculating the cost of the policy for each driver, the insurer multiplies the base rate by a number of coefficients (territorial, age, KBM, and others). The company determines the amount of the rate within the corridor established by the Bank of Russia at its own discretion, based on various factors, such as the model of the car, the marital status of the driver, etc.

Until now, the rate for the owner of a passenger car varied within the limits of 2.2–5.9 thousand rubles, and from September 13, in accordance with the instructions of the Central Bank that have entered into force 6209the corridor will be 1.6–7.5 thousand rubles

“Kommersant” took as an example a 30-year-old Muscovite with ten years (or more) driving experience, who, for example, owns a 150-horsepower car. A Muscovite drives a car without accidents, and one driver is included in the policy. The cost of OSAGO for him was 2.5–6.72 thousand rubles before, but now it is 1.85–8.47 thousand rubles. For an experienced (with an experience of more than 14 years) driver aged 40-49, who often gets into an accident, the price range changes from 19.9-53.7 thousand to 14.7-67.7 thousand rubles. For a novice 18-year-old motorist in the capital, the cost range changes from 14.8–40 thousand to 11–50.4 thousand rubles. The base rate corridor and, as a result, the price of insurance will also change for motorcycle, taxi, truck and bus drivers.

From September 13, in accordance with the instructions of the Central Bank, new territorial coefficients are also introduced: in Makhachkala – 0.96 instead of 0.9; in Nazran, Kyzyl, Sevastopol, Birobidzhan, Krasnokamensk, Baikonur and throughout Chechnya – 0.82 instead of 0.7. “The adjustment reflected the results of actuarial calculations made on the basis of data on payments for specific regions,” the press service of the Central Bank said in response to a request from Kommersant.

Let us recall that the Bank of Russia has been regularly changing the rules for setting tariffs in recent years: in 2019, the corridor expanded by 20%, in 2020 — another 10%. This time, the Central Bank explained the need to revise prices by a 30% (according to the PCA) increase in the price of spare parts.

Insurance companies are preparing to seize the new opportunities. “For some clients, the new maximum base rate will definitely apply – usually these are high-risk and unprofitable segments,” Pavel Yakovlev, senior product manager for auto insurance at the RESO-Garantia retail insurance department, told Kommersant. Answering the question of “Kommersant” about customers for whom insurance will become cheaper, he replied: “After another rise in the price of spare parts, one should not expect a decrease in the cost of OSAGO.” The expansion of the corridor does not mean an unconditional increase in the cost of the policy, Tatyana Kudryavtseva, head of the insurance portfolio management center for OSAGO of the VSK insurance house, explained to Kommersant. “The company can calculate in a wider price range, based on driving style, offering an individual rate for each client,” she explains. “For example: the cost of a policy for a careful driver from Moscow can be 5–8 thousand rubles. in year. This is comparable to the average premium that has been maintained over the past three years, and for motorists who often get into accidents, the cost of the policy can reach 20-25 thousand rubles. At the same time, the growth of OSAGO payments will continue.”

Independent experts fear that due to the new tariff corridor, the cost of “autocitizenship” will rise so much that a significant part of car owners will refuse compulsory insurance.

Vice-President of the National Automobile Union Anton Shaparin predicts that by the end of 2022, 30-40% of all cars will drive without OSAGO. He also noted that car owners are increasingly short of payments for repairs. “We do not exclude that such people (who refuse OSAGO.— “b”) may be, but we doubt that many will do it,” says Pavel Yakovlev from RESO-Garantia. “In most cases, clients adequately relate to the increase in the cost of the policy, since everything is becoming more expensive – from food and clothing to various services.” “The number of drivers without OSAGO on the roads has been stable for several years and is about 6 million citizens,” the PCA said. “We do not expect a mass refusal of car owners to buy policies, tariffs can be increased for high-accident drivers. Most car owners demonstrate a low accident rate.” On the eve of the entry into force of the instructions of the Central Bank, the union presented statistics on the share of drivers receiving the maximum discount for accident-free driving (CBM 0.47): in the second quarter of 2022 there were 32% (4 million people), a year earlier – 29% (3.8 million people). There are only 815 drivers who frequently get into accidents with a maximum BMR (3.92), or 0.01% of the total number of insured motorists, half as much as a year earlier.

Ivan Buranov