Why Do You Need Car Insurance?

Perhaps you’re a new driver thinking about purchasing your first set of wheels, or maybe you’ve just been dutifully paying insurance premiums for the last thirty years and are finally asking – whilst shaking a fist at the clouds, of course – what’s the point? Is this important? Is this headache even necessary?

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We’ll start with the latter, which is the easiest to answer. Insurance coverage in some form or another is required by law in just about every jurisdiction in North America. Penalties for being caught by the constabulary without valid insurance coverage range from stiff monetary fines to seizure of your vehicle, making the prospect of running without insurance an extremely dangerous and risky proposition.

Besides, how would you feel if a careless or impaired driver smacked into your wheeled pride-and-joy, the one on which you’ve spent hard earned money, only to find out the person had no recourse to cover the damages? Sure, insurance is mandatory but it is also the right thing to do in terms of being a decent human. If that’s not reason enough to carry the proper coverage, then by all means go back to leaving your empty shopping cart out in the middle of a store parking lot, ya cretin.

Every American state has laws which sets a minimum limit for car insurance liability coverage or providing proof one can pay for damages in an at-fault crash (thanks, New Hampshire, for dragging your collective feet on this topic). This refers to the amount an insurance company will pay towards a claim, such as when a wreck is reported. Basic liability generally takes care of the person into whom you crashed but leaves you to fix your own car. Phrased another way, liability insurance pays the other driver’s medical, vehicle repair and other costs when the policyholder is at fault in an accident.

If you want coverage for your own vehicle, which you certainly will if you have a newer one, or if you are leasing or financing your car, then you will need to look into comprehensive and collision coverages. Collision is just like it sounds; if you are at fault in an accident, collision coverage will pay for the repairs to your own vehicle. You’ll want comprehensive coverage also, which protects you against theft, glass breakage, weather-related claims, and animal collisions. Be sure to consider uninsured motorist coverage, which protects you and your vehicle should you be struck by an uninsured driver.

All this being said about the importance of carrying valid insurance coverage, it is equally important to protect oneself by shopping for a policy which fits your situation and isn’t a total rip off in terms of expense. Be sure to make use of services such as Toyota Insurance, a company which compares cost across many different insurance carriers to make certain you are getting the best deal.

Wading into the minefield of coverage options, deductibles, and exclusions can be very intimidating – which is why insurance pros at a place like Toyota Insurance help customers by asking appropriate questions to determine what is required, and what isn’t, in the policy for a particular driver. For example, Driver A might benefit from coverage which helps minimize costs when glass is damaged because their regular route takes them over long stretches of gravel road. Such coverage might not be standard fare in a policy – but Toyota Insurance can help you with that discovery.

On the other hand, that example may be useless for Driver B, a person who spends most of their time in urban environments, driving sparingly during the week but heading to the cottage on weekends. That customer may be better off with some sort of mileage-based discount or extra coverage for body damage wrought by someone else’s inattentive parking manoeuvres.

Good coverage is rarely a one-size-fits-all solution, explaining why dealing with a company like Toyota Insurance can save some drivers a great deal of money. And headaches.