Car insurance in Spain is compulsory for the driver of a car in relation to third party liability. A special feature of Spanish car insurance is that the car itself is insured, not its driver. Car insurance in Spain (seguro de coche, or seguro del automóvil) is not a very expensive service, but fines for lack of insurance are quite high - from 600 to 3,000 euros, and payments for damage caused in the event of an accident can be even higher.
Types of car insurance in Spain
Depending on the specifics of insurance protection and the objects covered by insurance, there are several types of car insurance:
- compulsory motor vehicle liability insurance is civil liability to third parties. If the driver is found to be the culprit of an accident in which the property or health of other persons was damaged, the insurance company will compensate the culprit for material damage to the injured party;
- voluntary insurance, which in the Russian version is called CASCO. Voluntary insurance, in addition to civil liability to third parties, implies car insurance against theft and damage, against mechanical and electrical breakdowns, insurance of drivers and passengers against accidents. If your car is damaged, the insurance company will pay you for the damage.
Each insurance company in Spain offers various insurance packages that provide protection against certain risks - from damage to the complete loss of the car or damage to the health of the driver.
Insurance companies in Spain
In Spain there are many national and international insurance companies, called "empresa de seguros". Each has a network of its own offices to work with clients and operates through insurance agents or on the principle of direct insurance. Most of these companies provide various types of insurance for individuals or businesses - auto insurance, real estate insurance, health, travel and others.
The largest insurance company in Spain is MAPFRE, founded in 1993. In addition to MAPFRE, well-known motor third party liability insurance companies are Alianz, Zurich and direct insurance companies Linea Directa, Direct Seguros.
What is necessary to conclude a car insurance contract in Spain
A car insurance contract is concluded on the basis of a written or electronic application indicating the main mandatory points:
- information about the policyholder (identity document, date of birth, registration and residence address, driving experience);
- information about the car (make and model, year of manufacture, registration date, nature of use, presence of an alarm system, conditions for parking the car - indoor or outdoor parking, in a garage);
- history of traffic accidents of the car and driver;
- type of insurance, listing of insurance risks (the policyholder indicates whether he requires minimum compulsory insurance or insurance against additional risks, for example, from theft, fire or malicious acts of third parties).
- Cost of a car insurance policy in Spain
- The insurance company determines the amount of the insurance premium (insurance premium), which depends on a number of factors. When determining the cost of an insurance policy (póliza de seguro), insurance rates are taken into account - price rates established by current legislation.
What to do in case of an accident on the road
A characteristic feature of the situation with an accident in Spain is that minor incidents on the road can be resolved by the culprit and the victim independently without the participation of the traffic police. To resolve this issue on the spot without the participation of the police and with the mutual consent of the offender and the victim, it is enough for both parties to fill out and sign the road accident report, which is attached to the car insurance policy. The report indicates the composition of the incident, data of drivers, cars, and insurance companies. A copy of the report remains with the culprit, and the victim must contact the insurance company with the original report, which will examine the fact of the accident and compensate for losses under the insurance policy.
In serious road accidents in Spain, those involved in the accident must contact the police by calling the emergency number 112, and traffic police agents (Policía de Tráfico) will arrive at the scene.
If the culprit of an accident in Spain fled the scene, you should write down the license plate number of the offender’s car and the details of witnesses to the incident, if there are witnesses. After this, you must submit the completed accident report to the insurance company, which will be obliged to resolve the issue at its level.
Compulsory car insurance includes evacuation of the car and transportation of the driver from the scene of the accident to the place of residence. In the event of a car breakdown, the insurance company must send a tow truck to deliver the damaged car to a car service center and pay for the driver and passengers to travel by taxi to their place of residence. If the victimHe doesn’t yet know which service center he needs to send the car to; he can inform about this later by phone to the company towing the car.
Responsibilities of a driver in Spain
- According to the law, it is mandatory for a car to have a bright yellow safety vest with reflective stripes. The vest must be in the passenger compartment of the car so that the driver can put it on before exiting the car onto the roadway.
- A mandatory condition is the presence of two emergency triangles in the car, which is due to the peculiarities of the roads in Spain, many of which pass through mountainous areas. On a mountain road with limited visibility due to turns, emergency triangles are placed on both sides of the car at a distance of at least 50 m from the car. On roads with a median, one triangle behind the car is enough.
- The insurance premium is very individual for each case and depends on the amount of the insured amount, the insurance period, the age and length of service of the driver, the life of the car, the make, the year of manufacture, the presence of anti-theft protection, and the degree of accident.
- Insurance premium amounts may vary from company to company and start from 250 euros per year.