Some trips or vacations begin at the rental car checkout counter. From here, several questions may emerge on how protected you will be when driving the rental car in the insurance sense. Rental cars are something you want to be especially protected financially because you don’t own them. You’ll always need to consider rental car insurance when traveling if your home car insurance doesn’t carry over to any vehicles you’ll be renting. This post goes over how you can tell when your personal car insurance is enough or if you will need to buy more when it comes to rental cars when traveling.
Rental Car Insurance in General
Right off the bat, when you go to a rental car checkout counter to pick up your reserved rental car, they will always offer you accompanying insurance. When it comes to rental cars, you absolutely want basic liability coverage in addition to comprehensive and collision coverage if the rental car is damaged or even totaled. As a quick refresher on car insurance, liability coverage is the essential car insurance that covers any injuries or property damage you cause to another driver. Collision coverage comes in to insure any damage to the car you are driving at the same time. Comprehensive coverage insures the car against any hazards that occur when it is parked or not in use –like criminal or weather damages. Rental car companies may require that you carry all this coverage for the car you are renting.
When Your Personal Car Insurance Covers Rental Cars
Your personal car insurance that you have for the car you owned but are leaving at home may carry over to certain rental cars, but there are stipulations. An example would be a rental car out of the country. Your standard car insurance should carry over to rental cars within the United States or your home country. When you are out of town and renting a car, you may have to resort to the coverage they have at the checkout counter. If you are unsure of where your personal car insurance extends, you can always check with your insurance provider or agent before the trip.
Rental Car Companies’ Auto Insurance
As previously mentioned, the car insurance that rental car companies regularly offer includes liability coverage and what is known as physical damage coverage –which is a combination of both comprehensive and collision. In the event of a claim, you would contact the rental company as if they are an insurance company. Regardless of the country or state you are visiting, the rental car company’s insurance will take any legal requirements for car insurance into consideration.
Insurance For When You Are Renting a Motorcycle
Motorbike insurance, as a whole, functions nearly identical to car insurance. The same rules apply when the motorcycle is a rental. There may be time on your trip when you may rent a motorcycle rather than a car. If you don’t have a motorcycle, thus no coverage of your own, you can buy some from the rental company. Motorcycles are registered vehicles and will require insurance just like any other.
Travel Insurance in Addition to Rental Car Insurance
If you have any concerns about your trip as a whole, then travel insurance can come in handy. This insures any investments you made to make the trip possible, like tickets and lodging. You never know when something on your trip will not go according to plan. Connecting to rental car insurance, travel insurance can help cover anything of value lost or damaged in an accident in the rental vehicle.
