Obtaining a driver's license is a landmark moment that opens up new horizons of mobility, but for many new drivers it is overshadowed by an unpleasant surprise when taking out their first insurance. Bonus-malus ratio (BMR) during this period has a basic value, which does not imply any discounts for accident-free driving, since the driver simply does not have an insurance history yet. Many novice drivers mistakenly believe that driving without accidents at a training site or having driving experience in another country automatically grants them privileges, but the system works differently.
At the time of issuing a license, the AIS RSA system assigns an initial class to the driver, which directly affects the final cost of the MTPL policy. Understanding the working mechanisms database of the Russian Union of Auto Insurers will help you avoid overpayments and correctly plan the budget for car maintenance in the first, most expensive year of operation. It is important to know that any changes in the driver’s status, such as a change of name or restoration of a license, require special attention and data verification.
In this article we will look in detail why KBM after obtaining rights is set exactly at 1.0, how quickly you can start saving on insurance and what to do if errors are found in the database. We will look at the technical nuances of how calculation algorithms work, the dependence of cost on age and length of service, and also give practical advice on checking the relevance of your coefficient through official channels.
Basic value of KBM for beginners
Immediately after successfully passing the traffic police exams and receiving a plastic card, the driver enters the insurance system with a clean slate. For everyone who gets a license for the first time or takes a break from insurance for more than one year, the starting class 3. This class corresponds to the coefficient 1.0, which means the absence of any discount, but also does not imply an accident premium. This is a neutral starting point from which the development of a driver's individual history begins.
It is worth noting that the value of 1.0 is universal for all vehicle categories unless the driver has a prior history. Even if a person has been driving a motorcycle for many years without an accident, upon receiving a category “B” license, his history will begin anew, since the coefficients for different categories of vehicles are calculated separately. AIS RSA system does not aggregate accident-free years from different categories into a single discount pool for a new policy.
⚠️ Attention: If you previously had a license, but have not taken out a compulsory motor liability insurance policy for more than 12 months, your BMR will also be reset to the base value of 1.0, regardless of how many years you drove without an accident before this break.
Many drivers wonder whether it is possible to somehow influence this parameter in the first year. The only legal way to reduce the cost is to properly issue a policy, taking into account all possible restrictions. For example, adding an experienced driver with a good history as a co-driver may change the calculation, but for the primary owner with zero experience, the discount still does not apply until the end of the first insurance year.
When buying your first car, consider taking out a policy on a long-time relative if you don't plan to drive often - this can significantly reduce the cost of insurance in the first year.
How is the cost of the policy calculated in the first year?
Forming the final price of an insurance policy for a newbie is a complex mathematical process in which the BMR is only one of the multipliers, although a very important one. The basic tariff rate set by the insurer within the corridor of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation is multiplied by a number of coefficients taking into account engine power, region of registration, age and, of course, bonus-malus class. For a beginner, the lack of a discount makes the final amount significantly higher than for experienced drivers.
Age and length of service have a particular influence. If the driver is less than 22 years old or has less than 3 years of experience, an increasing coefficient of KVS (age and experience coefficient) is applied, which can reach values of 1.7–1.8. In combination with the basic KBM 1.0, this leads to the fact that the first policy becomes the most expensive in a motorist’s entire life. Insurance companies consider this category of clients as a high-risk group.
Let's consider which parameters most strongly influence the price:
- 🚗 Engine power: the more horsepower, the higher the base rate and the bottom line.
- 📍 Registration region: in Moscow or St. Petersburg, tariffs are always higher than in smaller cities due to traffic density and accident statistics.
- 👤 Number of drivers: a policy with a limited list of drivers (only you) will be cheaper than “open insurance” for everyone.
It is important to understand that the insurer has the right to apply individual coefficients based on its own loss statistics. However, the basic principles for calculating the BMR are the same for everyone and are regulated by the state. You can check the correctness of the applied coefficients by requesting a calculation from an agent or using an online calculator on the insurance company’s website.
Dates for updating the RCA database and the appearance of the discount
One of the most common questions that drivers have is: “When will my first discount appear?” Data update mechanism in AIS RSA strictly regulated. The coefficient changes do not occur at the time of purchasing the policy, but only after its expiration. If you have traveled for a year without an accident, then when registering next contract The insurance system will automatically apply a new, lower coefficient.
The process is as follows: you buy a policy with KBM 1.0. 365 days pass (or the duration of the contract). On day 366, when you try to sign up for new insurance, the database updates your status. The class increases from 3 to 4, and the coefficient decreases to 0.95, which gives a 5% discount. It is important that there is no gap of more than one month between the end of the old policy and the beginning of the new one, otherwise the story may be interrupted.
Technical delays in updating the database are rare, but possible. Typically, accident-free driving data is uploaded within a few days after the previous contract expires. If when purchasing a new policy the discount is not displayed immediately, do not rush to pay more - perhaps the data has not yet been synchronized between insurance company and the central registry.
There is an important nuance associated with early termination of the contract. If you sell your car and terminate your insurance in the middle of the year, the CBM will still be renewed on the date following the expiration of the interrupted policy, but only if there were no payments under this agreement. However, in order to get a full discount for a full year, it is better to travel for the entire period of the contract.
What to do if the insurance company does not see your new KBM?
If you change insurer, and the new agent says that he sees the old KBM with accidents, ask to make a request to the AIS RSA. It often happens that the data has not been updated for a particular partner, but everything is correct in the central database. In this case, an application for restoration of the KBM is drawn up.
Impact of accidents and payments on the coefficient
The other side of the coin is the impact of car accidents on the cost of insurance. If during the insurance period an accident occurs due to your fault and the insurance company makes a payment, your bonus-malus class will be downgraded. This means a sharp increase in the cost of the policy next year. The size of the increase depends on the number of accidents: one payment can increase the coefficient to 1.55, and two or more - to 2.45 and higher.
The system takes into account only those accidents that were officially registered and for which the insurance company made a payment or even simply recognized the case as insured. If you got into an accident, but decided to sort it out on the spot without calling the traffic police and contacting the insurance company (you didn’t fill out a European protocol, the money was transferred from hand to hand), then formally in the database AIS RSA will not reflect this event. However, this carries risks for both parties.
Let's look at an approximate table of changes in class and coefficient depending on the number of payments:
| Class at the beginning of the year | KBM | Payments per year | Class for next year | New KBM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 (Beginner) | 1.0 | 0 | 4 | 0.95 |
| 3 (Beginner) | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1.55 |
| 4 | 0.95 | 0 | 5 | 0.90 |
| 4 | 0.95 | 1 | 2 | 1.40 |
| 9 (Maximum) | 0.50 | 0 | 10 | 0.50 |
0) only in two cases: if the driver is not included in any policy for a year or if he did not have a license at all. The presence of even one entry in the database about payment due to your fault will “roll you back” far back in the class table, and it will take several years to restore accident-free driving.
Checking and restoring KBM via RSA
Each driver has every right and opportunity to independently check their coefficient. It is recommended to do this at least once a year, before renewing the policy. Official website Russian Union of Auto Insurers provides a free verification service where, based on driver’s license data, you can see the current class and the history of its changes. This is the best way to protect yourself from agent errors or technical failures.
To check you will need:
- 🆔 Driver's license series and number (indicated without spaces).
- 📅 Driver’s date of birth.
- 🏢 Contract type (MTPL) and vehicle category.
If you find in the test results that the KBM is incorrect (for example, accident-free driving is not taken into account or, on the contrary, accidents are attributed), you must initiate a recovery procedure. To do this, an application is submitted to the insurance company where the last policy was issued, or directly to the RSA if the insurance company was liquidated. Copies of all previous policies confirming accident-free status are attached to the application.
☑️ Checking the KBM before purchasing a policy
⚠️ Attention: Never agree to an agent’s offer to “fix the BMR” for a fee, bypassing the official procedure. This is a scam that can lead to policy cancellation and problems with payment.
The recovery process may take from 5 to 30 days. At this time, if you urgently need a policy, you may have to pay for it at the current (erroneous) rate, and after recalculation, the insurance company will return the overpaid difference to your account. Keep all receipts and documents.
Frequent errors and technical nuances
When working with a database, situations often arise when the data does not match due to simple typos. Replacing a driver's license, changing your last name, or even changing your registration address can lead to the system AIS RSA will stop “seeing” your history and reset the KBM to 1.0. In such cases, it is necessary to manually update the data with the insurer.
A common mistake is inattention when filling out data in the policy. If the agent gets one digit of your license number wrong, your entire accumulated discount history will be lost for that particular policy, and the system will consider you a newbie again next year. Always carefully check the printed form or electronic policy file immediately after receiving it.
It is also worth mentioning the situation with “short” policies. If you take out insurance for a short period of time (for example, to move a car), KBM also applies. However, if such a policy is not renewed or replaced with an annual one within a year, the story may be interrupted. Bonus-malus coefficient tied to the individual, but its relevance depends on the continuity of insurance coverage.
Timely checking of data in the PCA database before purchasing a policy allows you to avoid overpayments and save time on refunds in case of errors.
In conclusion, it is worth saying that although starting with KBM 1.0 may seem unfair, this is standard global practice. The main thing for a beginner is to drive the first year carefully, without violations or accidents, so that from the second year you can begin to enjoy well-deserved discounts, which will only grow every year, reaching a maximum value of 0.5 (50% discount) after 10 years of accident-free driving.
Is it possible to buy KBM?
It is officially impossible to buy KBM. All offers on the Internet about “breaking through” or “buying” discounts are a scam. The only legal way is time and accident-free driving.
How quickly will the MSC change if I am not included in any policy for a whole year?
If you are not the owner of an MTPL policy and are not included in any contract for 12 months, your coefficient is reset to the base value of 1.0 (class 3). The accident-free driving history expires and you will have to accumulate discounts again.
Will the KBM remain the same if the last name is changed?
Yes, the KBM is tied to the driver’s license number, and not to the last name. However, when changing your last name and obtaining new rights, you must notify the insurance company so that it makes changes to the AIS RSA database, otherwise the next time you purchase a policy, identification difficulties may arise.
Does KBM affect the CASCO policy?
No, KBM is a parameter exclusively for compulsory MTPL insurance. Insurance companies may use their own discount systems for CASCO (for example, for accident-free insurance), but they are not related to the PCA database and are calculated according to the internal tariffs of each specific company.
What should I do if I sold the car and the policy is still valid?
You can terminate the insurance contract and return part of the insurance premium for the unused period. Your CBM will remain the same and will be renewed at the end of the current insurance year, if there have been no payments under this policy. The main thing is not to allow a gap in insurance of more than a month when purchasing a new car.
Is it possible to check the KBM by the policy number?
Officially, the check on the RSA website is carried out according to the driver’s license data. It is impossible to check the KBM directly in the public domain using the policy number, since one policy may include several drivers with different coefficients. However, some third-party services and websites of insurance companies allow you to see details of the policy.