It is not that unusual these days to drive someone else’s car or lend yours to someone to drive. The problem is if you do not have the right kind of coverage for your car, this could be a seriously expensive thing to do. Do not assume your current policy covers you as a driver of another vehicle. Also don’t make the mistake of assuming someone else driving your vehicle will be covered by your insurance or theirs without verification.
Anytime you get auto insurance coverage the rates will vary depending on several factors. Before getting you non-owners car insurance quotes you should be aware of some of these factors. By being informed you can make the best choice when it comes to rates and coverage.
Non-Owners Auto Insurance 101 
So what are some factors that could influence the cost of your policy? When it comes to having non-owners car insurance coverage, these are a few of the things you could expect to see affect the rates.
For example:
- How much protection you want. The bottom line is that you can determine how much coverage you want or even how little you want. Obviously the less coverage you take the greater the risk you take of having to cover some expenses out of your own pocket should an accident occur. However the amount is still less out of pocket than if you lacked any non-owners coverage at all.
- How often the vehicle will be driven by another driver. There will be rate differences for driving a car once a week or sharing a car on a daily basis. Be realistic about how often you will be using someone else’s car or letting someone else drive yours.
- As with any type of auto coverage, your driving history has a lot to do with what you car insurance rates will be like. The better your record the lower your rates. The same holds true for anyone else who may be driving your car. Work to keep a good driving record or clean up the one you have and you will notice a change in your premiums.
Is Non-Owners Car Insurance What You Need?
Keep in mind the type of car insurance coverage included with non-owners is just your basic liability policy. What liability insurance covers is:
- The car of another driver when you are deemed at fault in a collision. This would include repairs and possibly replacement, depending on what your minimum and maximum coverage amounts are.
- Medical expenses of the other party involved when you are the at fault driver. This again is based on the amount of minimum and maximum coverage. If the person you injure has a prolonged hospital stay, surgery, prescriptions or physical therapy, you could still wind up with bills to pay.
Things that are not generally covered as part of your non-owners auto insurance policy include:
- Your own vehicle repair or replacement. If the car is new or financed this could be a great deal of expense. In most cases, though, if your car is financed you will have to have more coverage than liability.
- Your own medical bills. If you do not have health insurance, this can be a high risk to take. Consider getting better coverage for your own medical bills in case you should end up in the hospital without health insurance coverage to help you pay your bills. Trying to cover this out of pocket can leave you with a huge financial burden. In fact many people end up losing their home to foreclosure or having to declare bankruptcy following this sort of incident.
- You may also have an accident that involves personal or public property. In most cases liability insurance will not cover this. This could be important if you hit a house or even take out a mailbox. For public property there are often heavy fees and fines and costs should you hit a light pole for instance.
In other words, you are not getting collision, comprehensive or anything more than liability, unless you specify otherwise. You should also consider having non-owners coverage if you frequently rent a car. Compare how much it costs you to add on insurance at the rental location as opposed to just having your own policy.
To make this comparison and get competitive quotes for coverage, start by entering nothing more than your zip code. By doing this you will be well on your way to getting the non-owners auto insurance rates you want right away.
