What Your Motor Insurance May Not Cover In Winter - And How To Fix The Gaps

On a fog-heavy January morning, traffic crept along a familiar urban road. Headlights glowed dimly through the grey, speeds were slow, and drivers leaned forward, instinctively alert. Then it happened - a sudden brake, a brief delay, and a mild collision. The kind that feels inconvenient, not alarming. No one was hurt. The car was drivable. The damage looked manageable. It was only days later, during the insurance claim process, that the real surprise emerged.

Some repairs were approved. Others weren’t. The reason had nothing to do with the driver’s fault or negligence. It had everything to do with how winter-related damage is interpreted inside a motor insurance policy. Every winter, insurers see a familiar trend. Claims rise not because drivers are suddenly careless, but because cold weather exposes risks many motorists don’t realise they’re carrying.

Says Sanjiv Bajaj, Joint Chairman and Managing Director at BajajCapital, “Winter doesn’t introduce new problems. It magnifies existing gaps between expectation and coverage. Most policyholders believe winter damage is automatically treated like any other accident. What they don’t realise is that fog, cold starts, battery failures, and water ingress are each assessed very differently under motor insurance.”

Fog Accidents: Covered, With Fine Print

Accidents caused by low visibility are covered under comprehensive motor insurance. However, the final claim amount often tells a different story. Fog-related collisions typically damage bumpers, headlights, mirrors, and plastic panels, which attract depreciation. “The accident itself is usually not disputed,” Bajaj explains. “What surprises people is how much depreciation reduces the payout if zero-depreciation cover isn’t in place.”

Cold Starts and Engine Damage: The Quiet Exclusion

Cold mornings are unforgiving on engines. Thickened oil, delayed lubrication, and repeated cold temperatures place additional strain, especially on older vehicles or cars parked outdoors. When an engine issue surfaces weeks later, many owners assume it’s claimable.

Often, it isn’t. “Engine damage that builds up due to cold weather stress is usually classified as wear and tear or consequential damage,” says Bajaj. “That category is excluded under standard motor insurance policies.”

Battery Failures: A Winter Constant

Battery breakdowns spike every winter. Sluggish starts, stalled vehicles, and roadside emergencies become routine, particularly for cars already running on weakened batteries. Yet battery replacement is largely treated as maintenance, not insured damage. “Unless the battery is damaged due to an accident, insurance doesn’t usually cover replacement,” Bajaj notes. “This is where expectations and reality often diverge.”

For electric vehicle owners, winter brings a different realisation. Reduced driving range in cold temperatures is considered normal behaviour, not an insurable failure. “EV users sometimes mistake winter range drops for faults,” Bajaj adds. “But insurance steps in only when there’s accidental or electrical damage, not seasonal performance changes.”

The Real Winter Lesson

Winter doesn’t demand a new insurance policy. It demands a better understanding. “Motor insurance works best when it’s understood, not just renewed,” Bajaj says. “Winter simply exposes the gap between what people expect their policy to do and what it’s actually designed to cover.” For drivers, the season serves as a quiet reminder. Insurance isn’t tested on clear days and smooth roads. It’s tested on foggy mornings, cold starts, and unexpected puddles when decisions are rushed and assumptions are made.

Those who prepare for winter don’t do anything dramatic. They simply align coverage with real-world conditions. And that, more often than not, is what determines whether a winter claim becomes a relief or a regret.