Owners of uninsured vehicles in States such as Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha and Rajasthan, have either started getting text messages or will soon get a text message on their mobile phones from insurance statistics body IIBI nudging them to insure their vehicles.

This is possible after insurance regulator asked States to share their vehicle database with Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIBI). As a result, data regarding the uninsured vehicles could be sieved out from the insured vehicles, and messages could be sent to the phone numbers of owners of uninsured vehicles.

Transport Commissioners of various States could also send messages after the reminder message (if they wish to), said TL Alamelu, Member (Non Life), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) at a conference on road safety and insurance. Bihar is also likely to join the initiative soon.

In India, all vehicles are mandated to have third party insurance, but a large chunk of vehicles are uninsured.

This text message is different from the reminder that vehicle owners get from their insurance companies at present.

India records highest road crash fatalities, and is on a mission to lower accidents and deaths in the country.

Pointing out the gap in insured vehicles, Alamelu said that about 89 per cent of vehicles in urban areas are insured, while 11 per cent of vehicles in rural areas are insured. Alamelu hoped that IRDA will get support from the Transport Ministry in making sure all vehicles are insured. Road Minister Nitin Gadkari and Secretary Sanjeev Ranjan assured all support for the initiative.

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