Road trip insurance: Jammed up south of the border
We feel so well-protected here at home that we don’t even think twice about taking a road trip south of the border for vacation. Did you know that every year several travellers to the United States find themselves in a jam because of a collision? Here’s some advice on how to avoid that situation, along with a few more tips for travelling with peace of mind.
A real life problem
Let’s imagine a hypothetical policyholder called Steve. Steve has one-way coverage on his vehicle, or, to use insurance lingo, he only has basic liability coverage and does not have coverage for loss or damage. He decides to take a short car trip to the U.S. While he is driving on U.S. soil, he gets into a collision with another vehicle. Steve’s car is no longer driveable and unfortunately he isn’t protected if he is responsible for an accident. He’ll have to cover any damage to his vehicle himself.
Back in his home province, this wouldn’t necessarily be a serious problem, but it’s a different story now that he’s thousands of kilometres away from home and facing the vexing questions of what to do with the vehicle, how to deal with the towing and repair costs, how to get home, etc.
Even if Steve is not at-fault, he’ll have to work with the owner of the other vehicle or with their American insurer. He then becomes dependent of the other-party’s insurance, and needs to wait until their insurance investigation is over to receive compensation. The law is not the same from one country to another!
In this situation, if it isn’t an at-fault accident, Steve’s case could be handled by the opposing side’s insurer.
However, your safest bet is to make sure you have complete insurance coverage before you leave on vacation. There are several optional protections that can also make travelling easier–you just need to inquire!
Furthermore, if you are travelling south of the border for frequent and lengthy trips, you’ll also need to contact your insurer to re-evaluate your coverage.
Expert advice
– Say you’re travelling outside your home province and you have an accident. Don’t take for granted that the police report will contain all the relevant information and that there’s nothing you need to jot down. “In some provinces you can wait up to nine months to receive a police report,” said Nadine and Cathy, out-of-province-claims specialists. In cases where it’s impossible to identify the other driver, the insurance file can’t proceed swiftly. Think about what would happen if your damaged car were stuck in another province or the U.S.!
-A tip from the pros: Our experts highly advise taking photos of the other driver’s licence and insurance papers. That way you’ll have all the necessary information on hand. Write down all of the other party’s contact information and call the telephone number he or she gave you right away to be sure you don’t leave with inaccurate information. It does happen, so it’s best to take preventive measures!
-The vehicle is full of luggage? Don’t leave it unattended! Parking your car for the day when it’s bursting with baggage is a bad idea. Make sure to park in a secure supervised lot and don’t leave anything in plain sight,.
-What is most important when it comes to road trips according to our claims experts? The answer is unanimous: Collision, Comprehensive and the ‘Autocomfort’ package. The experts indicate that this complete coverage including Autocomfort gives you peace of mind. In addition to providing access to a temporary rental car if your own is unavailable due to an accident, it protects you in case of an at-fault accident and protects you from theft, fire, vandalism, and even covers you in the event of a collision with an animal (deer, moose, etc.).
– Another tip: When travelling into the U.S., it is generally a good idea to increase your liability coverage. Why, you ask? Well, in the event of a car accident in the U.S., the other driver may choose to sue you if your liability coverage is not sufficient to pay for the damages.
