| All the coverages
in your auto policy apply when you are driving,
but they also apply when other people are driving
your vehicle. The coverages are actually for the
car, not the person. Note.
However, if someone is going to be a regular
user of your car, that person's name needs to
be added to your policy.
Your insurance company
wants to know who's going to be using your car.
That stands to reason. After all, you could
be a great driver, with no tickets or accidents.
But your spouse, your teenage child or your
reckless cousin could have a poor driving record.
If you let these people
drive your car without telling your insurer
and these people keep getting in accidents,
your insurance company isn't going to be very
happy. In fact, the company will probably cancel
your policy.
Tip.
It's not wise to risk losing your policy by
failing to disclose who's driving the insured
vehicle. Keep in mind, however, that if you
add drivers with lousy records or who haven't
had much driving experience, your premiums will
likely go up.
Any parent of a driving
teenager can tell you this. Teenagers are notorious
for getting tickets and having accidents. They
are also very inexperienced drivers. As such,
when your child gets his or her license, your
insurance premiums will go up when you add your
child to the policy.
If you buy all six of
the major auto insurance coverages, your policy
will cover you in most every instance in which
you cause damage or injury to your car, yourself,
your passengers, or drivers and passengers in
other vehicles.
But not all.
Note.
The standard auto insurance policy has some
"exclusions," which is insurance-talk
for, "We won't cover that." Here are
some examples where your auto policy won't provide
coverage:
•If you intentionally
try to cause damage to your car or another vehicle.
This includes liability coverage.
•If you are using the vehicle to transport
other people for a fee. (This does not apply
to car pools where the expenses are shared.)
•If you are using the vehicle for certain
business activities. This does not include traveling
to see clients or taking a standard business
trip.
•For damage caused by normal wear and
tear, freezing, mechanical or electrical breakdown,
or road damage to tires.
•If your car is damaged because of radioactive
contamination, intentional or accidental discharge
of nuclear weapons, war, insurrection, rebellion
or revolution. |
