Insurance Guide

This March, a Citybus double-decker slammed into a stationary truck on Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Highway, claiming the lives of two drivers and injuring 16 people. This serious traffic accident has once again raised the concern in society about what drivers should do when their cars break down in the highway, as well as the mismanagement of the tunnel company. Today, this article from Kwiksure will divulge some safety tips on what to do in a highway crash, how to avoid highway accidents, and how insurance can protect you.

Just face it: Hong Kong is probably not the easiest place to drive in the world, with frequent traffic congestions, rude and grumpy road users, limited parking spaces, and narrow and worn-out roads. However, as limited as our individual efforts are, the least we can do is to take precautionary measures when getting behind the wheel to protect ourselves, our passengers, as well as other road users. As we celebrate the new year of the pig, Kwiksure will divulge the following tips for having a safe and claims-free 2019.

It is important to understand that home insurance is not just one policy. Home insurance policies can be divided into two main categories: home buildings insurance and home contents insurance. Both of these home insurance cover an accidental fire, but in a slightly way, and that’s what our today’s article is about.

In their goal of promoting the use of electric private cars, the HK government has launched the “One for One Replacement” scheme in the Budget Plan of 2018 last February. Just yesterday, the authorities have relented the rules after the scheme has been blasted for having harsh requirements and rigid conditions. Today, Kwiksure will spell out what exactly the “One for One Replacement” scheme is, what the latest revision is about, the challenges for electric private car owners in Hong Kong, and some potential solutions.

No matter whether you are a new driver with a probationary driving license or you have been riding a motorbike for over 30 years, purchasing a new motorcycle insurance policy is no easy feat. You will have to spend time on researching and comparing prices of different policies, or else you may have to pay some serious money out of pocket when there’s an accident. Our previous features have touched on what every rider should know about motorcycle insurance and safety tips for riding a motorcycle in Hong Kong . Today, Kwiksure will bring you five more tips on what you should consider when selecting motorcycle insurance to help you make a more educated purchase decision.

Previously, Car1.hk has conducted an interview with Kwiksure motor insurance department manager Ken. He has answered some questions that many Hong Kong motorists are most concerned about nowadays, introduced readers with our brand and improved their understanding of motor insurance. Today, Kwiksure brings to you some of the best content in the interview.

Chinese New Year is approaching fast, and as such, people are preparing to welcome the Year of the Pig in many different ways. With the belief that what you do during the Spring Festival will have an effect on your luck in the coming year, many people follow superstitions, some of which are given a modern twist. Cars, for example, are associated with quite a wide range of Chinese New Year superstitions, and as we all know, it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when it comes to folk beliefs. To that end, today's article by our team at Kwiksure shares some of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to preparing your car for Chinese New Year, so good fortune stays with it and also with you throughout 2019.

While Hong Kong is a convenient city when it comes to public transport and daily commute, it may not be so ideal if you are traveling with kids. Just imagine the scene your child may make in a congested MTR compartment when there is a service delay or disruption (which seem to be getting much more frequent these days), or how difficult it is to grab a seat on a bus during rush hour. To that end, a car seems to be a necessity for new mothers and fathers. However, while driving with kids can be fun, it is also every parent’s responsibility to keep their children safe on the go. Before you get behind the wheel, Kwiksure will give you a few tips on how you can properly protect your kids in your car. Protecting your kids when driving Before we dig deeper into the motor insurance side of this subject, let’s go through how you can ensure the safety of your little ones while driving:

Sulfur frost, black ice, freezing drizzle, constantly falling snow, snowdrifts, and slippery surface - these are just a few attractions that await us on the roads during the winter trip outside Hong Kong. Hong Kongers’ popular winter destinations are Korea, China, and Japan. In fact, just a few months ago, one Japanese rental car company recommended tourists not to rent a car from them from November until March if they’re not familiar with winter road conditions. They stated that there was up to a 30% increase in car accidents involving foreign tourists in Hokkaido alone during winter months. Just in time to confirm the predictions, we heard of the recent news of a tragic collision of two Hong Kong citizens in snowy Hokkaido this Christmas Day. In light of the recent events, our team at Kwiksure decided to write a short guide on how to safely drive a car in winter and what to do in case of a car accident overseas.

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) has officially opened on the 24th of October this year, after nine years of construction. The cost of constructing the 55 km bridge, as well as its surrounding link roads and artificial islands, is about a whopping $20 billion in total, and stretches 22.9km over the sea with a 6.7km underwater tunnel. While the HZMB is the world’s longest sea crossing, the bridge is not served by any public transport. Instead, private shuttle buses will operate the cross-border route. If a Hong Kong private car driver needs to use this mega link, they must complete all the necessary formalities, obtain valid permits, and meet the insurance requirements by the relevant jurisdiction(s). Basically, there are three options for a Hong Kong private car owner applying to cross the ZHMB. What can be quite tricky, however, is that the application procedures are all different, and by no means simple and easy. To that end, Kwiksure has prepared this downloadable and printable infographic to illustrate how it works in a more easy-to-digest and concise manner.

Most Hong Kong drivers should have experienced difficulty with parking in this cramped city. Sometimes we may end up parking on slopes when there’s no level parking space around. However, a fatal traffic accident in North Point last Monday came as an alarming reminder of the importance of parking safety. The accident took place when a school minibus careened down the street after the driver had exited the vehicle, colliding with pedestrians down a narrow street before crashing into a storefront. The minibus driver tried to stop the vehicle from sliding but was hit and dragged for 20 meters. He and other three victims remained in critical condition at the hospital. The tragedy has claimed the lives of four people and injured nearly a dozen in total. At the time of writing, the police had found no problem with the braking system of the school van and thus are focusing their investigation on whether the driver has applied the handbrake properly. In light of the accident, this week Kwiksure will offer some practical safety tips for parking on slopes.

Just last week, a serious deadly crash took place in Hong Kong where a shuttle bus smashed into the back of a stationary taxi on a highway, injuring 32 people and killing six, including the drivers of both vehicles. It was the city’s second such road accident in 2018, following a tragic bus crash in Tai Po in February that claimed 19 lives. The police stated that the coach driver had already worked for 10 hours when the accident occurred, and would investigate whether he could have been overworked or tired. This begs the question of how the physical condition of drivers will affect motor insurance claims. In today’s Kwiksure article, we shed light on the impact of chronic illnesses on motor insurance claims and premiums in Hong Kong.