Bad news for drivers: on top of the prices that have started to run again is the price of RCA insurance, which the Covid emergency in particular had so far driven to historic lows. Not only that: expensive energy and the commodities crisis are driving up the cost of repairing cars and stretching waiting times with the result that prices of aftermarket parts are also going up.
Average RCA price on the rise
Ania has published data about the trend of the average RCA premium in March 2023. The survey shows that there has been a 3 per cent increase over the past year, from 307 euros to 316 euros. In absolute terms, in fact, in 2012 the average RCA prize was 449 euros paid in March 2012. In eleven years, therefore, the reduction is 133 euros.
Rising repair costs
The second alarm concerns costs and waiting times at garages. A study conducted in various European countries by the Boston Consulting Group (Bcg) found that in a few months, the average cost of aftermarket parts would rise by 40 per cent. According to Federcarrozzieri, the risk is that, under the illusion of saving money, drivers turn to improvised and unlicensed garages. Who offer themselves with very low workmanship costs, totally out of the market, repairing the vehicle badly with obvious repercussions on road safety, the environment, and driving comfort
The black box as a solution
The spread of the black box, now adopted by an increasing number of insured drivers, allows an important discount on the RCA while incentivizing the adoption of responsible driving behaviours. Ania estimates that the black box reduces claims by about 20 per cent while also decreasing the use of the garage for any repairs following an accident.
The design of a device that can be applied to cars is related to the widespread service of satellite anti-theft devices, already developed by Viasat since the second half of the ʻ80s. Telematic devices, gradually increase in performance, with automatic alarms in case of a crash and hands-free assistance call from the Viasat Operations Center (H24). Up to the famous Viasat Black Boxes of the latest generation (sosCall 2.0 and sosCall 2.2) capable of also providing preventive information to drivers on-road riskiness enabling more careful driving and significantly reducing claims.