Do I need rental car insurance on my vacation this summer?
Vacations give your mind a break, but they definitely do not your bank account a break. Here are just a few vacation expenses to plan for:
- Food
- Hotel Stays
- Gas
- Toiletry Items
- Tourist related expenses – ie tours, behind the scenes adventures
- Rentals
Now that you have all these expenses added up, do you really want to add rental car insurance to the list?
Technically the answer is “yes.” But whether or not you need to purchase insurance from the rental car company depends on two things:
- Your personal insurance company, which usually covers a rental car at no cost.
- Whether or not you want to have the EXTRA peace of mind should an accident happen.
If you have full coverage on your personal vehicles, your personal auto insurance should extend to your rental car. Full coverage means you have two types of coverages:
- Collision coverage (if you wreck your vehicle and it is your fault, your insurance company will fix your vehicle)
- Comprehensive coverage (any other loss you may have to your vehicle such as, theft, flood, hitting a deer, etc.)
Are there any accidents full auto coverage won’t cover?
Yes, while you may have full auto coverage there are still some instances that will not be covered and will require additional policies.
- Loss of use: Loss of use is simple that, the loss of use of the rental car. If you wreck the car and the accident was your fault, you will be responsible for the lost time and money in which the vehicle is being fixed.
- Loss of depreciation/value: This is coverage that comes into play in the instance that you wreck the rental car and the value of the car becomes less than before the accident.
Before you leave for vacation, decide whether buying rental car insurance is something that needs to be added to your list of expenses. Talk with your insurance agent and review your auto insurance policies to identify any gaps in coverage. This way, you will enjoy your vacation without the worry of rental car coverage and you will avoid any surprise expenses should there be an accident.
