In Brief (TL;DR)
Learn how the Bonus-Malus system works and how to use the Bersani Law to inherit a merit class and save on your car insurance.
Discover how to inherit a merit class and understand the bonus-malus mechanism to save on your car insurance policy.
Find out how to take advantage of the benefits to inherit the most favorable merit class and save on your policy.
The devil is in the details. 👇 Keep reading to discover the critical steps and practical tips to avoid mistakes.
In Italy, car insurance is one of the most significant expenses for families, often seen more as an unavoidable bureaucratic burden than as necessary protection. In an economic climate where every euro saved is crucial, understanding the mechanisms that determine insurance premium calculations is not just useful—it’s essential. The Mediterranean culture, historically based on family solidarity and resource sharing, finds a practical and modern application in the insurance sector through specific regulations that help lighten the financial load on individual households.
In recent years, the Italian insurance market has undergone radical transformations, oscillating between the tradition of a system based on historical driving records and technological innovation driven by telematics. While Italy still holds the record for having higher average premiums compared to its European neighbors, it is also the undisputed leader in adopting technologies like the black box, a tool that is reshaping the concept of trust between the insured and the insurance company. Navigating this maze of merit classes, law decrees, and digital options is the first step toward turning a legal requirement into a real opportunity for savings.
Knowledge is the first form of savings: ignoring your insurance rights can cost you hundreds of euros each year.
The Bonus-Malus System: The Merit Ladder
The heart of car insurance pricing in Italy is the Bonus-Malus system. Imagine a ladder with 18 steps: these represent the Universal Merit Classes (CU). When taking out their first policy, every driver is conventionally placed on the 14th step, a decidedly expensive entry position that reflects the lack of a driving history. The goal is to descend this ladder, year after year, until reaching the coveted first class, which signifies maximum reliability and, consequently, the lowest insurance premiums.
The promotion or demotion mechanism is ruthless but merit-based. For each year without causing an accident, the insured driver moves down one class (Bonus), earning a discount on the next renewal. Conversely, in the event of an at-fault or shared-fault (over 50%) accident, the Malus (penalty) is triggered: a penalty that involves moving up two classes. This “double jump” backward has a devastating economic impact, potentially increasing the premium by 20-30% in a single stroke. To delve deeper into the technical dynamics of this system, it is useful to consult specific guides on bonus-malus car insurance.
It is crucial to understand that the merit class is not tied to the car, but to the owner and their claims history record. This digital document is the driver’s “rap sheet”: it stores the insurance history of the last five years (in some cases, ten for internal company evaluations) and determines the risk profile. Even if you switch companies, the earned class is retained thanks to interoperability rules guaranteed by IVASS (Institute for the Supervision of Insurance).
The Bersani Law and Family Insurance: Unity is Strength
While the Bonus-Malus system rewards individual conduct over time, the Bersani Law (Law Decree No. 7/2007) and the more recent Family Insurance (RC Familiare, introduced in 2020) leverage the strength of the family unit. These regulations are a perfect example of how lawmakers have addressed a social need typical of our country: intergenerational support. Before 2007, a newly licensed driver or anyone purchasing an additional vehicle was condemned to start from the 14th class, paying exorbitant premiums.
The Bersani Law changed the game by allowing individuals to inherit the merit class of a cohabiting family member (listed on the same Family Status Certificate) for a newly purchased new or used vehicle. However, the real revolution came with Family Insurance (RC Familiare), which significantly expanded this benefit. Today, it is possible to transfer the merit class even between vehicles of different types (e.g., from a car to a scooter or vice versa) and, crucially, also at the time of policy renewal, provided that the beneficiary’s claims history record shows no at-fault, primary-fault, or shared-fault accidents in the last 5 years.
This extension is vital for Italian families who often own multiple vehicles for urban mobility. A father in the 1st class can pass his status to his son insuring his first scooter, ensuring immediate savings that can exceed 50% of the base premium. To understand how to apply these benefits in practice, we suggest reading the in-depth article on how to save with the Bersani Law and Bonus-Malus.
Italy vs. Europe: A Cost Comparison
Analyzing the Italian market without comparing it to the European one would provide a partial view. Historically, Italy has been Europe’s “laggard” regarding car insurance costs. According to recent data from trade associations and IVASS, the average net premium in Italy is around €300, while in countries like France and Spain, the average often drops below €200. This gap, known as the insurance spread, has been a subject of political and economic debate for years.
The causes of this discrepancy are multiple and deep-rooted. Italy suffers from a higher incidence of claims in certain geographical areas, coupled with a higher average cost of compensation, often due to insurance fraud and a high level of legal disputes. Furthermore, the Italian vehicle fleet is, on average, older than the European average, which affects safety and the severity of accidents. However, the gap is gradually narrowing thanks to anti-fraud policies and increased competition between online and traditional companies.
Despite the higher costs, Italian consumers have become much more attentive and proactive. The search for savings has pushed millions of users toward online comparison sites and direct insurance companies, eroding the market share of traditional physical agencies. For those looking for strategies to reduce these costs, a recommended read is the guide on how to save on car insurance.
Tradition and Innovation: The Case of the Black Box
In a country as strongly tied to tradition as Italy, it is surprising to discover that we are world leaders in a specific insurance innovation: telematics. The black box is a satellite device installed in the vehicle that records driving data such as speed, acceleration, braking, and location. In the event of an accident, it provides an objective reconstruction of the event, protecting the honest driver from false accusations and fraud.
Italy is the country with the highest penetration of black boxes in Europe: the technology has become a shield against high premiums.
The spread of the black box has been massive, especially in the southern regions of Italy where premiums are historically higher due to the risk of fraud. Companies offer significant discounts (often over 20%) to those who agree to the installation, trading a portion of their privacy for tangible savings. This phenomenon highlights an interesting cultural trait: the willingness of Italians to embrace technological innovation when it offers a pragmatic solution to an economic problem.
In addition to savings, the black box offers extra services like vehicle location in case of theft and automatic calls to emergency services. However, it is essential to carefully evaluate the contractual obligations. To choose the policy best suited to your needs, both technological and otherwise, it is useful to consult a complete guide to choosing a policy.
Practical Tips for Activation
To make the most of the opportunities offered by the Bersani Law and Family Insurance, you need to proceed with bureaucratic precision. The first step is to obtain an updated Family Status Certificate (Stato di Famiglia); this document is the only proof accepted by insurance companies to demonstrate cohabitation and thus the right to inherit the merit class. Self-certifications are not permitted at the time of purchase, although many online companies allow you to upload them later for verification.
Another critical aspect is timing. If you are buying a used vehicle, the transfer of ownership must be completed before requesting a binding quote. Furthermore, for Family Insurance at renewal, it is essential that the claims history record is “clean” (zero at-fault accidents) for the last 5 continuous years. Pay attention to the details: a minor accident with 51% shared fault that occurred four years ago can block access to the benefit.
Finally, don’t forget to regularly check the accuracy of the data on your claims history record. Clerical errors can cost you the loss of your earned class. There are online tools to perform a quick car insurance verification and check your insurance status.
Conclusion
Navigating the world of car insurance in Italy requires a mix of regulatory awareness and commercial savvy. The Bonus-Malus system rewards consistency and prudence, while the Bersani Law and Family Insurance offer valuable shortcuts for those who know how to use the family safety net. Although costs remain higher on average than in the rest of Europe, the massive adoption of telematics technology shows that the market is alive and evolving. The key to saving money lies not only in safe driving but in being informed: knowing your rights and the available options is the only real way to avoid passively accepting the cost of road safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bersani Law only allowed the transfer of a merit class between vehicles of the same type (car to car) and only for new purchases. Family Car Insurance extends this possibility to different types of vehicles (car to motorcycle) and also applies to renewals of existing policies, as long as there have been no at-fault accidents in the last 5 years.
No, that is not possible. The law requires that the merit class transfer occurs within the same family unit, as documented by the Family Status Certificate (Stato di Famiglia). The cohabitation must be formal and certified; a simple roommate or friend does not qualify for the law’s benefits.
The consequences can be severe. If you cause an accident with exclusive or primary fault and you have benefited from Family Insurance for vehicles of different types, a so-called Super Malus is triggered. This involves a demotion of up to 5 merit classes, leading to a very significant increase in your insurance premium.
On paper, yes, the Universal Class (CU) is the same. However, insurance companies often distinguish between a natural class (obtained through years of accident-free driving) and an inherited one. For this reason, the quote for an inherited 1st class is usually higher than that for a 1st class genuinely earned over time.
It is not required by law, but it is highly recommended for reducing costs. Companies offer substantial discounts to those who install a black box because it allows them to faithfully reconstruct accident dynamics and prevent fraud. In Italy, this option is very popular and allows for significant savings on the car insurance policy.
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