The Most Important Auto Insurance Coverage for Wintery Regions

Winter is here and it’s time to think about car insurance. Basic all-weather coverage is always a good start, but in the winter, there are special considerations in terms of both driving risks and damage that can occur while your vehicle is parked. If you live in a region that experiences serious winters, take your winter car insurance seriously, as well. The last thing you want is to spin out on the ice or have a snow-laden tree branch fall on your car only to discover that you are not fully covered for the risk.

So what type of auto insurance coverage is most important for wintery regions? You will most likely want collision, comprehensive, and roadside assistance most of all. Let’s go into the why and how:

Collision Coverage for Icy Spin-Outs

First and foremost: Collision coverage. Auto collision insurance covers impacts between vehicles. Anywhere the roads form ice, even in less wintery regions, you want to be prepared for a black ice slide and collision into other vehicles. Even if you can handle black ice and know how to spot it, you can’t vouch for everyone else on the road. If the car ahead of or beside you slides, you might be in danger and it’s best to have the coverage you need.

During the winter, it’s a good idea to seek no-fault coverage so that you can get repairs when the other driver or no-one is at fault. You may also want to add or increase your uninsured/underinsured driver coverage in case the other driver didn’t think ahead, as you have.

Comprehensive Car Insurance for Winter Hazards

Comprehensive car insurance is for everything that isn’t a collision. Your comprehensive policy primarily covers damage that can occur while you are parked but can also cover non-collision damage types like poor road conditions. In the winter, comprehensive coverage can be essential. If you are parked, your vehicle can be damaged by harmful weather like hail or, worse, hit by a snow-laden tree branch from a great height. Winter is also a time for bad roads and growing potholes. If your vehicle is damaged by a sharp-edged pothole on the road, comprehensive is the policy that covers you.

Of course, comprehensive coverage also provides for all-year non-collision risks like theft, vandalism, animal impacts, and when your windshield cracks from a flying road-pebble.

Roadside Assistance Coverage

In wintery regions, roadside assistance can save lives. Not only are accidents and spin-outs more likely on icy roads, but being stranded roadside is also more dangerous with the risk of freezing and the difficulty extracting your car from a roadside snowbank.

Black ice, poor road conditions, snowplows, and other winter factors tend to make accidents and roadside emergencies more common in the winter. Even if you’re an expert winter driver, those cars around you may not be. Likewise, no one is immune to blown tires and animal scares. When the temperature is dropping, you want to know help is on the way without worrying about the cost. Roadside assistance coverage comes with a network of local tow and mechanic businesses ready to get to your location no matter where or why you need rescue.

Alternatively: Storage Car Insurance for Winter Months

What if you have a vehicle you don’t drive during the winter months? There are insurance alternatives to reduce your costs while maintaining the coverage that matters. Storage car insurance is an alternate package that includes just comprehensive coverage for parked vehicle risks. Storage car insurance allows you to park your unused vehicle in the garage or driveway for the season and lower your winter-month insurance costs while still providing coverage for things like weather, theft, vandalism. and falling tree branches.

Just be aware that with storage insurance, the car is not legal to drive. You may also need to register your vehicle as non-operated or maintain your state’s minimum insurance requirements during the winter months.

Winter car insurance is an important consideration if you live somewhere with significant winter conditions. Contact us to explore your winter insurance options and choose the best policy for your region and driving plans.