Budget Car Rental Insurance

Renting a Car? Find Out if You Need Auto Rental Insurance





When renting a car for any reason, many drivers are confused as to whether or not they need to purchase added rental car insurance policies from the rental company.  To find out if you can cut back on costs by skipping the rental insurance packages, evaluate the following tips from insurance industry experts.

Rental Car Insurance Overview

When renting a car, nearly all rental insurance companies will ask if you’d like to purchase extra rental insurance protection.  Before opting “yes” and paying big bucks, evaluate your current auto insurance policy that is upheld by your standard insurance company.  When checking over your current auto policy, ensure that you have protection for the following features:

Does your auto insurance policy protect you against damages while driving another individual’s vehicle? Does your auto policy have any specific clauses and / or restrictions regarding rental cars? Does your auto policy protect both you and other drivers while renting a vehicle?

Generally, the biggest danger to look out for before turning down rental insurance is to ensure that your policy protects you from any theft, fault damages, or other accident related damages (no-fault).  Most importantly, be aware that nearly all auto insurance policies will specifically only protect you as the driver of the rental car.  In other words, if you and a friend rent a car and the car is in your name, then you should be the only driver operating the vehicle.  If your friend drives the vehicle and causes damage to it, then your insurance plan will not protect you against the costs of the damages.  In this case, your friend’s insurance would ideally cover the expenses; however, you can only be completely sure of your policy - not your friends!  To protect your safety and to travel with a greater assurance, be sure your policy extends coverage for your driving actions in a rental car, and then ensure that you are the only operator of the vehicle!

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