Summary of this article
Roadside Assistance is non-negotiable for highway breakdowns, winter travel and remote stretches.
Engine protection and zero depreciation matter more on long drives where repair costs can escalate quickly.
Not all add-ons are useful—customise your policy based on how and where you travel, not bundled offers.
Insurance complements preparation, not replaces it—basic vehicle checks still make the biggest difference.
The car was packed. The playlist was ready. The destination was a quiet hill town which felt like the perfect December escape. Two hours into the drive, the temperature dropped sharply. The warning light blinked. A few kilometres later, the car stalled on a near-empty highway. The phone signal was patchy. The nearest town was miles away. It wasn’t a dramatic accident. Just a breakdown, the kind that quietly tests both your patience and your insurance.
When The Journey Is Longer Than Usual
Holiday road trips are different from daily city drives. Distances are longer, roads are unfamiliar, weather is unpredictable, and help isn’t always close by. December adds its own layer of foggy mornings, cold-start engine stress, tyre pressure fluctuations, and crowded highways.
“A road trip can test your insurance more than your car,” says Venkatesh Naidu, CEO at BajajCapital Insurance Broking Ltd. “Because it’s during long drives, away from cities, that gaps in coverage show up.”
Yet many drivers either overload their policy with add-ons they don’t need or skip the ones that matter most.
The Realisation Most Drivers Have Too Late
Motor insurance add-ons are often sold as bundles. Everything sounds useful. Everything feels optional. But on a winter road trip, only a few add-ons actually make a difference.
“When something goes wrong on a highway at night or in bad weather, what matters is not paperwork, it’s response time and support,” Naidu explains.
For readers, this is where clarity helps. Not all add-ons are equal, especially for long-distance travel.
Add-Ons That Actually Matter on a Road Trip
Roadside Assistance (RSA): This is the most critical add-on for holiday drives. It covers towing, on-site minor repairs, battery jump-starts, fuel delivery and help during breakdowns especially valuable when you’re far from urban centres. In winter conditions, where mechanical issues are more common, RSA often becomes the difference between a delay and a disruption.
Zero Depreciation Cover: On highways, even small accidents can involve expensive parts. Zero depreciation ensures you’re not paying out-of-pocket for wear and tear on replaced parts, particularly useful for newer vehicles or long journeys.
Engine Protection Cover: Winter drives often involve cold starts, waterlogged roads, or hilly terrain. Engine protection covers damage due to water ingress, oil leakage or mechanical failure situations not covered under standard motor policies.
“Engine-related repairs are among the costliest,” Naidu notes. “This add-on is especially relevant for long drives in unfamiliar terrain.”
Consumables Cover: Small expenses add up quickly after an accident like engine oil, coolant, nuts, bolts. This add-on covers those overlooked costs, reducing friction during claims.
Add-Ons That Often Don’t Add Value for Road Trips
Some add-ons sound attractive but offer limited benefits during holiday travel. For example, key replacement or daily allowance covers may not be relevant for short-duration trips or well-planned drives. “Motor insurance works best when it’s customised to how and where you drive,” says Naidu. “A city commuter and a holiday road-tripper don’t face the same risks.”
Preparing Beyond the Policy
Insurance is one layer of preparedness not the only one. Before long drives, checking tyre pressure, battery health, brake condition and coolant levels matters just as much. Keeping insurer helpline numbers saved offline, sharing live location with family, and carrying basic emergency supplies can significantly reduce stress.
This reinforces a simple idea: insurance doesn’t replace caution, it complements it.
Before You Hit the Highway
Holiday road trips are meant to slow life down, not complicate it. But winter travel tests systems, cars, roads, and coverage. The real value of the right motor insurance add-ons isn’t in claiming money later. It’s in keeping the journey moving when something unexpected happens. Because when the road is long and the night is cold, peace of mind isn’t about what you packed, it's about knowing help will reach you when you need it most.
