Buying a car insurance policy for a single day can seem a little strange. If you’re not a regular driver, you might wonder why being insured is necessary if you’re just going to borrow a friend’s car or maybe drive a vehicle to the airport before vacation. But most drivers know that accidents are always possible, and if you need a car for a short amount of time, you might be in a higher-risk situation to begin with. If you are renting a car or borrowing from someone, it’s a mistake to automatically assume you are covered by the same policy as the car, or to think that policy will cover everything you need in case of an accident. For many short-term drivers, a temporary insurance policy of their own is the answer.
1. Are You Moving?
One reason that you might need to drive for a single day is to move belongings from one home to another. Maybe you or your son or daughter is going away to college, and while it’s not convenient for them to keep a car, you need some way to transport their things to campus. Driving an unfamiliar vehicle to an unfamiliar place can increase your risk of making a mistake, especially when the vehicle is filled with boxes or furniture. Whether you have the proper insurance coverage to drive a van or moving truck is a smart thing to think about before you start packing.
2. Cars for Vacationers
Many people rent a car on vacation for one day out of their trip, or maybe they need to drive to the airport or another place of departure. Again, driving a vehicle in an unfamiliar setting can be dangerous, especially when you’ve got your family along for the ride. Temporary car insurance is extra beneficial when you’re crossing state lines, as well, because even if you already have an auto insurance policy, it might not cover all the requirements of where you’re going to.
3. Insurance for New Drivers
Teenagers who are preparing to take the driving test need a car to do it in, right? And many of them don’t have one, yet. When your teenager isn’t covered under your insurance plan, a one-day policy will help them be able to take their driving test safely and legally. It might be a bit more costly to insure a minor, but it’s a good way to get them prepared for what it takes to be a responsible driver, before they have committed to a longer-term policy of their own.
4. Shopping for a New Car?
If you’re taking an extended test drive of a car, or if you have a new car and you need to get it home – sometimes over long distances – a temporary car insurance policy can be really helpful. You don’t want to take risks with your new investment. You might even get a policy that covers a week or two while you shop around for the best long-term policy to cover your type of vehicle.
It’s important to remember that it is illegal to drive without insurance and the prices for those tickets rise dramatically all the time. If you’re not driving your own vehicle, there’s no way to correct the problem if you get into an accident or get pulled over – you will simply be paying a lot of money. Most auto insurance policies don’t cover you when you’re driving someone else’s car, or when someone else is driving yours. That’s why, for a select group of people, one-day insurance is a way to be safe rather than sorry.
– George MacDonald writes for several insurance sites and recommends www.temporarycarinsurance.co for occasions when you need to borrow a car for a day.
