The question of whether driving experience is valid with open insurance worries many car owners, especially those who have just received a license or have taken out a policy for an unlimited number of people. There is often confusion between the concepts of “insurance record” and “accident-free record”, as well as a lack of understanding of how exactly the system RSA takes into account driving periods when calculating the cost of the policy for the following year. Many people mistakenly believe that issuing a policy without restrictions automatically resets all previous achievements or, conversely, allows you to “accumulate” a discount for all drivers included in the document at once.
In fact, the mechanism of operation of the system is much more complex and is strictly regulated by the legislation of the Russian Federation. Open insurance (or compulsory motor liability insurance without restrictions on the number of drivers) has its own characteristics of accounting for accident-free conditions, which are radically different from the rules for policies with a specific list of persons. If you are planning to save money or, conversely, are afraid of losing the accumulated bonus-malus coefficient (BMC), you need to clearly understand how the database AIS OSAGO processes information about drivers in such cases. In this article we will look at all the nuances so that you can make an informed decision when purchasing a policy.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that the rules change periodically, and insurance agents do not always have up-to-date information or are interested in a detailed explanation of the nuances. Key point: with open insurance, the length of service (KBM) is tied to the owner of the car, and not to the drivers who actually drive the vehicle. This is a fundamental difference that is often overlooked. Understanding this difference will help you avoid unpleasant surprises when renewing your insurance contract and will allow you to correctly plan your budget for car maintenance.
The difference between the experience of the driver and the owner
The first thing to understand is: in context OSAGO The concept of “experience” is most often replaced by the concept of “bonus-malus coefficient” (BMC). It is this indicator that directly affects the final cost of the policy. When we talk about whether the experience is working, we mean whether the accident-free rate is accumulating and whether the coefficient is decreasing. In the case of a policy where a specific driver is registered, everything is transparent: the KBM is linked to his driver’s license and passport. If there have been no accidents due to his fault in a year, the coefficient decreases, making insurance cheaper.
Upon registration open policy (no restrictions) the situation is changing. It doesn’t matter who exactly is driving – a friend, relative or hired employee. The system considers the car as an object of increased responsibility of the owner. Therefore, the entire “burden” of accident-free operation or, conversely, unprofitability falls on the shoulders of the vehicle owner. Driving experience (number of years from the date of receipt of rights) in its pure form with open insurance is not taken into account when calculating the discount, since the circle of persons is not defined.
It is important to distinguish between two types of experience:
- 🚗 Driving experience: the number of years that have passed since obtaining your first driver's license. It affects the coefficient of age and experience (AIC), but is not a direct analogue of the ASC.
- 🛡️ Insurance experience (KBM): driving history showing how often the driver or owner caused an accident. It is this parameter that “goes” or “does not go” depending on the type of policy.
Thus, if you take out open insurance, your personal driving experience (like driving experience) does not disappear anywhere, it is stored in the database RSA. However, the mechanism for calculating bonuses for accident-free driving switches from the personal track to the track of the car owner. This means that even if an experienced driver with 20 years of experience is behind the wheel, the accident-free discount will be formed solely on the basis of the ownership history of that particular vehicle.
When a car owner changes, the KBM history is not transferred to the new owner. The discount stays with the person, not the machine.
How is KBM calculated for insurance without restrictions?
Calculation mechanism bonus-malus coefficient with open insurance it has its own specifics. At the time of initial registration of a policy without restrictions, if the owner has not previously owned cars or has no insurance experience as an owner, he is assigned basic class 3 (BMC 1.0). This is the starting point. Further changes in the coefficient occur annually on the expiration date of the insurance contract.
The main rule: with open insurance, the BMC is checked and changed only by owner vehicle. If during the validity period of the policy no insured events were registered due to the fault of the owner (or persons admitted to management, whose data was recorded in the database), then the class increases and the coefficient decreases. However, if an accident occurs and the driver who was driving the car under open insurance was found to be at fault, then it is the owner who receives a “hit” in the rating.
The table below shows how the class and coefficient changes depending on the availability of insured events for the owner with open insurance:
| Class at the beginning of the year | Insured events: 0 | Insured events: 1 | Insured events: 2 or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 (1.0) | 4 (0.95) | 1 (1.55) | 0 (2.45) |
| 4 (0.95) | 5 (0.90) | 2 (1.40) | 0 (2.45) |
| 5 (0.90) | 6 (0.85) | 3 (1.55) | 0 (2.45) |
| 6 (0.85) | 7 (0.80) | 3 (1.55) | 0 (2.45) |
| 7 (0.80) | 8 (0.75) | 4 (1.55) | 0 (2.45) |
As can be seen from the table, the absence of accidents allows us to systematically reduce the cost of insurance, reaching a maximum class of 13 with a coefficient of 0.5. However, one accident can throw the owner far back, to class 1 or even M, which will increase the cost of the policy several times. That is why open insurance requires the owner to be extra careful when entrusting the steering wheel to third parties.
With open insurance, the owner’s BMI depends on all accidents that occur with the car, regardless of who was driving.
Does open insurance affect the experience of registered drivers?
One of the most frequently asked questions: does the experience apply to those drivers who are simply included in the policy or drive a car with open insurance, but are not the owners? The answer lies in the design details. If the policy limited (specific names are entered), then each driver retains his personal KBM. The presence of open insurance with the owner does not in any way affect the personal rating of the registered driver - neither positively nor negatively.
However, if we are talking about open insurance (without a list of drivers), then the situation is different. In this case, driving data is not transferred to the personal card of drivers who get behind the wheel.
- 📉 Accumulation of experience: Drivers driving a car with open insurance do NOT accumulate an accident-free record for themselves. Their personal MCU remains the same (or changes according to their own personal vehicles, if they have one).
- 📈 Risk of deterioration: If such a driver gets into an accident, this will not worsen his personal vehicle rating, but will affect the rating of the car owner.
This creates a kind of “trap” for young drivers who hope to gain experience by driving their parents’ cars with open insurance. Alas, the system AIS OSAGO is designed in such a way that accident-free operation is assigned to the owner of the vehicle. The driver’s personal rating remains “frozen” at the level of his last personal insurance or the basic value if he did not have his own cars.
⚠️ Attention: Do not try to artificially “pump up” the BCM by driving a car with open insurance. This will not change your personal bonus-malus coefficient in the RSA database one iota. All achievements will go to the owner of the car.
Thus, for registered or actual drivers, open insurance is neutral in terms of personal experience. It does not harm, but it does not help in accumulating discounts for future personal car purchases. The only way to improve your BMR is to be the owner of the vehicle and take out the policy for yourself (with or without restrictions, but being the owner).
Problems when changing your driver's license
Changing a driver's license is a standard procedure, which, however, may cause problems in displaying driving experience and driving license in the database. If you are the owner and have open insurance, the replacement of rights goes relatively smoothly, since the main identifier for the owner’s KBM is often a bunch of data, including STS and passport. However, it is necessary to update the information in the policy.
To do this, you need to contact the insurer (in person or through the website, if the functionality allows) and provide scanned copies of your new and old driver’s license. In the system AIS OSAGO the data will be updated and the accident-free history will be preserved. Problems arise if an error was made in the database during the initial entry of data or if the series/number of rights was indicated with a typo. In this case, the system may “lose” your experience and assign a base coefficient.
To avoid losing what you have accumulated over years of accident-free driving, follow this algorithm of actions:
- 📄 Immediately after receiving new rights, check your current KBM on the official website RSA.
- 🔄 Make changes to the current OSAGO policy, even if it has not yet expired. It's free.
- ✅ When purchasing a new policy, carefully check whether the data on the old experience is automatically updated.
☑️ Data check when changing rights
If you find that your experience has “disappeared” after changing your rights, do not panic. This is a technical problem that can be resolved by filing an application to correct errors in the database. The insurer is obliged to check the archives and restore your driving history.
Features of accounting for experience for legal entities
Owners of cars with open insurance often become legal entities. In this case, the concept of “driving experience” is transformed. An organization cannot have personal driving experience or KBM in human understanding. For legal entities, the bonus-malus coefficient is calculated based on accident statistics of the entire fleet or a specific vehicle assigned to the organization.
With open insurance for legal entities, the following rule applies: KBM is tied to vehicle (VIN code) and owner (TIN of the organization). If a car gets into an accident, the loss ratio increases for this car and the owner organization. A change of drivers allowed to drive (even if there are dozens of them) does not affect the personal rating of employees, since the corporate sector often uses the principle of “open access” for employees of certain positions.
It is important to note that for legal entities, MTPL tariffs are already higher, and the threshold for entering the “discount” zone (reduced price for accident-free operation) may differ from individuals.
- 🏢 Link to VIN: The accident-free experience “lives” with the car. When selling a car, a legal entity loses this bonus; the new owner (even an individual) will start with the base class.
- 📊 Park statistics: In some cases, insurers may take into account the overall accident rate of the company’s entire vehicle fleet when calculating a corporate policy, but this is already an area of commercial insurance that goes beyond the scope of standard compulsory motor liability insurance.
⚠️ Attention: When a legal entity is reorganized or liquidated, the accumulated bonus-malus coefficient is lost. It is impossible to transfer the “failure-free” nature of the company to the founder or new director.
How to check and restore your experience
Monitoring your insurance record is the responsibility of every car owner. You should not rely on the memory of agents or data in old policies, since the human factor and technical failures have not been canceled. Checking the current odds KBM should become an annual tradition before purchasing or renewing a compulsory motor liability insurance policy.
The most reliable way to check is to use the service on the website Russian Union of Auto Insurers (RUA). To make the request, you will need your driver's license details (series, number, date of issue), date of birth and citizenship. The system will display the current class and coefficient, as well as the history of their changes.
Procedure for checking:1. Go to the official RSA website (section “KBM Check”).
2. Select the type of owner (individual).
3. Enter your driver's license information.
4. Enter your date of birth and nationality.
5. Click Search.
If you find a discrepancy (for example, you know that there were no accidents, but the class was reset), you need to write a statement to the insurance company where the policy was issued during the period the error occurred. The insurer is obliged to request data from the AIS OSAGO and, if an error is confirmed, make changes. The process can take up to 30 days, but the results are worth it as you can save significant money over the years.
What to do if the insurance company refuses to correct the BMR?
If the insurance company ignores the request or refuses to correct the BMR without legal grounds, you have the right to file a complaint with the Central Bank of the Russian Federation through the online reception. This is the most effective lever of influence on insurers regarding the AIS OSAGO database.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Does the CBM burn out if I don't own the car for more than a year?
Yes, the bonus-malus coefficient is stored in the database for 12 months after the expiration of the last OSAGO policy. If you do not take out new insurance within this time, your BMR will be reset to the base value (class 3, coefficient 1.0). The exception is cases when the break is associated with conscription for military service or other valid reasons, supported by documents, but in practice it is extremely difficult to restore “interrupted” service.
Is it possible to transfer the KBM from one vehicle to another?
The bonus-malus coefficient is tied to the person (owner), and not to a specific car. Therefore, when you sell one car and buy another, your accumulated experience (ACM) is saved and applied to the new vehicle automatically, provided that you remain the owner. A break in insurance for more than a year will lead to the loss of the coefficient.
Does open insurance affect the cost of the policy for the next owner?
No. When selling a car, the KBM history accumulated by the previous owner (even if it was open insurance) is not transferred to the new owner. The new owner begins to insure the car from base class 3 (KBM 1.0), regardless of how “clean” the history of the car was before him.
Will my experience be taken into account if I am included in my father’s policy, but did not buy the car myself?
If the policy is limited (specific persons are included), then your personal KBM is saved and updated (subject to accident-free driving). If the policy is open (without restrictions), then your personal BMR does not change - it is “frozen”. In this case, the owner’s (father’s) experience increases, but your personal experience does not.
How long is information about an accident stored in the RSA database?
Information about insured events and insurance periods is stored in the automated information system (AIS) of OSAGO indefinitely. This allows the system to correctly calculate your bonus-malus ratio at any time, even if you changed insurance companies or took breaks in insurance (within the validity period of the CBM).