As auto insurance reform goes deeper, insurers in China are exploring ways to associate insurance rates with the status of different cars. But the plan drags on because no car security indexes are available in China at the moment.

Since the "China's insurance vehicle safety index system framework" was released last November, 16 types of car have been tested for security indexes. China schedules to test two batches of car each year, says Wan Xinming, deputy general manager of China Automotive Engineering Research Institute. So far, the cost of such tests is relatively high. We are planning to partner with car makers in the future, he added.

The car security index system covers crashworthiness and maintenance index, passenger security index, passer-by security index and auxiliary system security indexes. 

Statistics show that as of the end of 2016, China's vehicle population has hit 194 million units. And the scale of auto-insurance ranked 2nd worldwide.

We need to learn from developed countries to better serve the car industry, says Zhu Jinyuan, Chairman of Insurance Association of China.

Email: tanyuhan@nbd.com.cn