Rental Car Tips
Summer driving season is here and many of you will be renting cars for the wonderful road trip. Here are some useful things to remember when you approach the rental counter:
1. Liability coverage - Do I have coverage if I cause an accident ? If you own a vehicle, the answer is probably yes. You auto insurer in most cases will cover you for an accident caused in a rental car BUT you must check with your carrier before renting. Some carriers have particular exclusions depending on where you are going or for what purpose your are renting the car, for example business. If you do not own a car and you have assets to protect, you can purchase liability coverage from the rental car company
2. Collision coverage - Rental car companies love to sell Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) protection. It is very expensive, generally $10-15 dollars per day depending on the company and the type of car rented. If you purchase that coverage and have an accident you will have no liability for the damage to the rental car regardless of fault. If you want to save money on the CDW, you may have coverage through your own auto policy if you have collision coverage on your private vehicle. Again check with your carrier. Of course, you would be subject to the same deductible as for your private car. Lastly, many credit cards provide this coverage if your rent the car using that card. Check with your credit card company.
3. Authorized drivers - Anyone who may drive the rental vehicle should be listed on the rental agreement, even if there is an additional fee. If you let someone who is not on the agreement drive the car and that person gets into an accident, you may void your various coverages.
