Comprehensive Auto Quotes: Do You Need More Coverage?
If you do not think that you need additional insurance coverage on your vehicle, ask yourself this: how many hail storms have you endured in the past year? How many deer have you seen on the roadways on your way to and from work or school? Did you see the construction on the big building that you drive by every day? What would happen if a piece of one of those bricks bounced out of those trucks and hit you right in the windshield? Would your current insurance policy cover that damage? If you only have liability or collision on your car, the answer is most likely no, it would not.
Why Comprehensive Auto Quotes Are Important to You
You cannot count on an accident always being the cause of damage to your vehicle. When other events occur, your collision policy will not cover you at all. There are many things that can happen. Consider these facts:
- As much as one million dollars worth of damage is caused by collisions with both domestic and wild animals each year. Hitting a deer is not the same as hitting another car and is not covered by collision only policies.
- Two percent of all crashes involving deer are fatal to humans.
- There is a deer related crash every eight minutes in the state of Michigan.
- More than 750,000 deer die every year on the roads in the state of New York.
- Deer crashes make up six percent of all accidents in the state of Colorado; however there are some remote areas where the number is as high as 25 percent.
- Drivers in the 15-24 age group are at the highest risk of being involved with a wildlife crash.
- One half of all of the wildlife vs. vehicle crashes happen when the driver swerves to avoid hitting the animal.
Weather Related Facts:
- Hail has caused nearly three billion dollars worth of damage to vehicles alone in one decade in the state of Colorado.
- Fire, flood and weather related losses resulted in more than $35 billion dollars of expense in 2011.
- The wildfires in Texas are expected to cause at least $250 million dollars in damages.
More Proof That You Should Be Getting Your Own Comprehensive Auto Insurance Quotes
On a listing of the top ten insurance claims, half of them are only covered by comprehensive insurance. Of the rest, two are covered by collision and the others are dependent on the type of coverage and the company that is providing it. Here are the five types of incidents that you would need comprehensive insurance to file a claim for:
- Weather related damage including hail, rain, snow, ice or excessive sun. Being blinded by the sun, especially in the early morning hours, can cause people to veer off the road and into a ditch or into a pole.
- Bad roads. Icy and wet roads are slippery roads. Some roads are subject to such serious weather fluctuations that they become very badly damaged and may develop giant potholes that can account for thousands of dollars worth of repairs for the driver.
- Cracked windshields. With collision only coverage, glass breakage is typically excluded. With comprehensive, the cost of your cracked windshield can be covered. Once a crack is over a certain size, it is a fineable offense, which can become even more expensive than repairing or replacing it.
- Theft and vandalism. If someone steals your car or keys the side of it while you are in the grocery store, comprehensive insurance will cover the costs.
- Deer. You have already seen how dangerous deer and other wildlife can be.
Before Buying a Policy:
Before making any final decisions on your insurance policy, it is important that you consider the quotes that you have received:
- Get at least two good quotes to compare coverage, prices and service.
- Consider all of the ways that you can bring the cost of your insurance down without giving up the coverage that you need and want.
- Discuss possible discounts.
- Decide how you want to deal with the insurance company (by phone, in person or online) as well as how you want your billing information to arrive. Most companies give discounts for using email billing and other online services because it is cheaper and easier for them as well.
- Ask about loyalty discounts with your current provider. Don’t be afraid to let them know that you are shopping or comprehensive auto insurance quotes.