Common Car Insurance Issues
Everyone knows how important car insurance is. But when driving in foreign countries many people are not fully aware of the rules and can end up with inappropriate cover – and sometimes none at all. Car insurance is just as necessary when away as it is when you are at home, so make sure you know the situation.
Changes in Car Insurance in foreign countries
If you have fully comprehensive car insurance at home, you could be forgiven for thinking that this will be the case wherever you choose to drive. But when you are driving abroad this is not always so.
In fact, when you are driving abroad a number of car insurance providers actually downgrade your fully comprehensive insurance policy to the minimum insurance required by law in the country, which is normally third-party cover only. This could be a major blow if you are involved in any accidents, especially if you think you are fully covered.
Amount of Time you are Covered
Although you may have paid for your car insurance policy to cover you for the next year, when you are driving abroad the rules sometimes change slightly. It’s not uncommon for insurance providers to put a limit upon the amount of time that you will be covered, and often drivers are not aware of this.
Whether 90, 60 or just 30 days, the limit is usually enough to allow you to have an average-length holiday. However, other insurance providers put limits of as little as three days, which could leave many people with no cover.
Check with your Provider Before you Go
If you don’t check the rules of your own travel insurance provider then you could find yourself in a bit of bother when driving abroad. Don’t let it happen to you: make sure you find out exactly what the regulations are before you even think about leaving the country.
In addition, inform your insurer that you are planning on driving in a foreign country and how long you expect to be away. That way you can save yourself a real headache and a lot of money if anything goes wrong.