Family Car Insurance: What It Is and How It Works

Family car insurance: what is it?

Following the amendment relating to art. 134 of the Private Insurance Code (CAP), the 2020 Fiscal Decree introduced the new Family Insurance , also known as Family Bonus Malus , which led to an extension of the Bersani Decree on the subject of inheritance of the Merit class. The Family Bonus Malus can be applied to car and motorcycle insurance, allowing the Bonus Malus to be transferred from one car to another, or even from a car to a motorcycle and vice versa. Compared to the past, policyholders therefore have the opportunity to acquire a more favorable merit class when purchasing a new car/motorcycle policy or when renewing their car/motorcycle insurance.

What changes compared to the Bersani Law?

Family insurance differs from the innovations of the Bersani Law in two main ways. Compared to the Bersani Law, family liability insurance allows:

• 1. transfer the merit class also to vehicles that belong to different categories : for example from car to motorbike (and vice versa), from motorbike to van (and vice versa) or from car to van (and vice versa);
• 2. transfer the merit class, not only when activating new car or motorbike insurance, but also when renewing policies .

With the Bersani Law, however, it was possible to inherit the merit class only on the same type of vehicle .

How does family car insurance work?

The law applies to all family members who wish to purchase a new or used vehicle . Once a vehicle, whether a car or motorcycle, is insured, it can be insured using the most favorable insurance class among those accrued on a vehicle owned by one of the family members. For example, with the new Family Third Party Insurance (or Bersani Law 2020), if you own any vehicle in first class (whether a car, motorcycle, scooter, ATV, etc.) and wish to insure an additional vehicle, the latter will be insured with the same class, therefore the highest accrued. To prove that you are part of the same family, you must obtain a Family Status Certificate, which can be requested from the Registry Office, online, or by mail. The application procedures may vary depending on your municipality of residence.

Family insurance and Malus

According to the latest updates, the law could undergo some changes regarding penalties . An amendment to the Milleproroghe Decree would establish that in the event of a road accident, in some cases upon expiration of family liability insurance, a person could be downgraded by up to 5 points in their merit class . This would occur in the following cases:

• the road accident is caused by a driver with family liability insurance linked to a vehicle other than the type of vehicle from which he inherits the merit class;
• the compensation is more than 5 thousand euros.

When to apply for family insurance

Family car insurance can be requested immediately after purchasing a vehicle (new or used) or when renewing the policy with the same insurance company.

Family insurance: which vehicles?

As per the Bersani Law, family insurance is transferred from car to car. The best rating achieved by a family member's car is automatically transferred to the new vehicle. Family insurance is also a particularly interesting innovation for those who wish to transfer the best rating from a car to a motorcycle or vice versa . The broader consumer base that will benefit from family insurance It will be mainly families who own at least one car and one motorbike .

Who can benefit from family liability insurance?

• Family insurance can be requested by the car insurance holder, i.e. by the insured ;
• Family car insurance is also aimed at members of the insured's family .

When applying for family insurance, it's advisable to specify, using the family status certificate, who is included in the household and who is eligible for the bonus.

Who is excluded from it?

• Anyone who is not part of the insured person's family cannot request family RCA;
• Those who have caused road accidents and have a risk certificate with one or more accidents in the last 5 years are also excluded.