Mangalore is a major port city in Karnataka, handling 75% of India's coffee and cashew exports. It serves as the administrative headquarters for the Dakshina Kannada District and contains the state's second largest airport.

The monsoon often wreaks havoc by leading to waterlogging in the city streets. Also, there are major rushes during the weekends and morning peak hours in pockets of the city that often lead to fatalities.

Being a bike owner in such a busy city can be risky if you do not have a two-wheeler insurance policy. It will help you avoid unwanted financial outflow in the event of any mishap or accident.

When you look for a two-wheeler insurance policy, there are a lot of insurance policy providers. Among them, Digit is a name that you can trust. It allows its policyholders to customise the IDV of their bike or scooter based on their budget and convenience. To find out more about what Digit offers, read on.

Mangalore is the chief port city in the state of Karnataka and is considered the second-best for business development after Bangalore in the state. The city is majorly involved in cargo handling apart from being an industrial, commercial and port-related industry activity region. 

Mangalore is situated near the Arabian Coast as well as the Western Ghats and therefore experiences heavy rainfall at an average of 3,796.9mm during the peak rainy months of June to September.

Challenges faced by Two Wheeler Riders in Mangalore

• The weekend rush: According to the police data, most of the road accidents occur on weekends when the traffic is low and riders tend to drive at a higher speed. Also, weekends crave for intercity/getaways leading to highway accidents or drunk driving post-late-night parties. According to the reports 2019, 21% of the road accidents have occurred on Sunday between 3 pm to 6 pm and on the same day, 20% accidents have been reported between 6 pm to 9 pm.
  
• Increased fatalities on the highway: Of the total road accidents witnessed in Mangalore, 33% of the road accidents occurred in the National Highway and Industrial areas like Surathkal, Panambur, Mulki and Nanthoor. These areas are always busy and have a high frequency of heavy vehicle movement. 
  
• Increased traffic: During peak hours (in the morning), especially in places like Pandeshwar, Hampankatta and Market road near State Bank,  more than one-fourth of the road accidents (25.57%) have been reported due to rush for either school or jobs. As per the data collected from three police stations in Mangalore, a total of 439 cases have been reported in the city. 
  
• Climatic repercussions: During rains, the city experiences a flood-like situation whereby roads are closed due to waterlogging and the manholes overflow. It even worsens when Maharashtra releases a huge volume of water from its reservoir after heavy rainfall in the state. Huge cracks can be experienced on the roads of Mangalore which are certainly fatal.
  

• Choice of two-wheeler insurance: Under its portfolio, the company offers two types of insurance plans for your bike:
  
• a) Third-Party Bike Insurance: Covers only third party damages like injury or death of an individual or damage caused to the third party property/vehicle. 
  
• b) Comprehensive Bike Insurance: This policy has two factors. It covers the damage to your own bike caused by accident, vandalism, riot, natural calamity, fire, theft, etc and takes care of the third-party liability as well. Know more about Own Damage Bike Insurance.
  
• Avoid heavy penalties: The third party bike insurance plan makes your two-wheeler legal on the Indian roads. Traffic rules are strictly followed on the Mangalorean roads. Absence of minimum bike insurance will attract a penalty of ₹2000 and/or 3 months of prison time.
  
• Ride tension free with the comprehensive policy: With the comprehensive bike insurance, insured can be completely free of tension. The plan covers any damage to own vehicle and third party losses. It also compensates for damages caused by natural calamities, theft, fire, etc. It takes the responsibility to pay the third-party claims on your behalf which can be beneficial for you in Mangalore as the probability of accidents is fairly high. Considering the challenges on roads in Mangalore, comprehensive two-wheeler insurance is a great support to a peaceful ride.
  
• Suitable add-ons for Mangalore: With an appetite for extreme monsoons and waterlogging issues, the ‘Engine and gearbox protection’ add-on is advisable for Mangalorean riders, this will cover damages to the engine in floods or situations alike. Also, the ‘breakdown assistance’ add-on is quite relevant for the fast-paced masses to resort to any emergency breakdowns within the city. Considering the rate of accidents mentioned above, the Personal Accident Cover becomes essential. You can opt for this both with the Third-party or Comprehensive Insurance plans. It provides financial assistance up to 15 lakhs if you suffer from a permanent disability or death due to an accident.