What does it mean that my car is insured, but not the driver?
Automobile insurance polices and coverage can vary from company to company and state to state. In most instances, car insurance follows the car first and the driver second. What this means is that the owner of the vehicle is usually responsible for making the insurance claims on any damages that are accrued from their automobile, no matter who was the wheel.
The Four Vital Steps
There are four vital steps that should always be taken before allowing someone else to drive your car or before you get in the drivers seat of someone else‘s car:
- Always ensure that you give or get permission to drive the vehicle.
- Make sure that the vehicle you are in has sufficient car insurance.
- Check with your automobile insurance company and see what your policy covers.
- Look into your state‘s laws regarding non-owners operating your vehicle.
Who‘s Responsible?
So if you were driving in someone else‘s car and backed into another car on the street, the owner of the vehicle you were driving most likely would file the car insurance claim with his or her insurance company. As long as you had permission to be driving the car, the majority of time the car insurance follows the car first for coverage. The owner of the automobile is responsible for the liability coverage of any damage to the other vehicle that you backed into.
If there was damage done to the owner‘s vehicle they would have to have collision coverage on their car to get those damages fixed. They would just then need to pay the deductible and those damages could be repaired. It is not typical that your car insurance policy would cover collision damages of someone else‘s vehicle.
Also, the owner‘s insurance rates could be affected since the claim would be filled with their car insurance company. If you happened to get pulled over by a law enforcement officer for a moving violation such as speeding or running a stop sign, you the driver would be responsible for any fees and that would go against your personal driving record.
Comparing Car Insurance Rates and Coverage
It is always vital to know exactly what type of coverage you want when you begin searching for car insurance online. If you want a policy that will cover all drivers, no matter what, then be sure to inquire about this with the car insurance company. Remember that different states and car insurance companies will have different requirements when it comes to insuring cars and multiple or unknown drivers. To be on the safe side, always ask the auto insurance company.
Many auto insurance companies allow multiple drivers for a vehicle, but to get the best rates when applying for auto insurance online, be sure to know the driving history and personal information of any other drivers you want on the policy. As said before, the car will likely be insured, but the driver may not. If you want all drivers to be covered, ask your auto insurance company and get the specific policy you want.
