Non-Owners Car Insurance in New York

Non-Owners Car Insurance in New York In big cities like New York, where public transportation meets the daily needs of most residents, it's not unusual for people to not own their own cars. Between the cost of parking, the lack thereof, and the cost of maintaining an insurance policy in such a densely populated city, many choose to simply not do so. But for those occasions when a car is necessary there are plenty of rental agencies ready and willing to provide New Yorkers with a vehicle. As such, rental vehicle customers must do their best to ensure they are getting the best deal -- and that includes cheap auto insurance.

Insurance from the Rental Company In New York there are by-the-hour rentals from companies like Zipcar as well as more traditional rentals from companies like Hertz and Budget. But before a rental customer ever walks away from the counter and heads out to the lot, he needs to be absolutely sure about insurance coverage.

By law, New York car rental companies must carry a minimum liability policy on each vehicle they rent. But such policies are woefully inadequate because their limits are so low. Any driver who was involved in a serious accident probably wouldn't have enough coverage to pay all that was required of him.

In order for New York drivers to make sure they have enough coverage they have three basic options: purchase extra insurance from the car rental company, purchase a non-owners car insurance policy, take advantage of insurance offered by a credit card issuer.[1] Drivers will have to compare auto insurance from all three sources in order to determine what gives them the best value for their dollar.

The Non-Owners Car Insurance Policy Since most of us are familiar with standard insurance offered by a car rental company or credit card issuer, we won't bother to explain that here. But we will deal with the non-owners policy. This is an insurance policy purchased through a standard car insurance company which provides coverage for you on any rental vehicle you use; whether it's an hourly rental or a standard rental. The policy will offer higher levels of liability as well as some measure of personal injury protection and some umbrella coverage should the car rental company sue for physical damages to the vehicle.

Non-owner policies can be as inexpensive as $35 or $40 a month; they can also run $150 a month or more for top of the line coverage on the most expensive vehicles. Because the price varies so much from one company to the next you really need to do your homework to make sure you're getting the cheapest car insurance possible. And just as you would if you were purchasing a standard insurance policy, you want to make sure you review your non-owner insurance at least on an annual basis. If you don't want to make the commitment necessary for a non-owner policy you'll probably just purchase extra coverage from the car rental agency.

Reference: 1. http://firstcarinsurancequotes.com/cheap-car-insurance-in-new-york/ - As one of the 12 states utilizing a no-fault system, New York requires all drivers to maintain liability insurance as long as a valid registration exists on a vehicle. (2012)