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Most people don't rent a car for a month. You don't need to pay extra for insurance to see that renting a car for a month is ridiculous option.
You'd be lucky to find one for $50/day, that's $1500/mth...JUST FOR THE CAR. Most would be closer to $3K.
So insurance is just one of your many expenses when you're renting a car. Consider it part of the vacation cost.
Meantime - i rent often - and, um, I can confirm, that yep, people in rentals do tend to NOT take the same care as they would with their own vehicle. Nor do they always confess their "crimes." Rental insurance works both ways.
I can definitely understand that it's riskier - it's an unfamiliar vehicle, and let's say the renter picks it up at a big city airport - you're adding in unfamiliar roads and that big city traffic, and meanwhile they are looking around for radio controls, climate controls, windshield wipers, what-have-you as they're driving and trying to figure out where to turn... Now I don't think that should amount to 5-15x higher risk, but maybe 2-3x I could understand...
I landed in LAX around 2016 after a delayed flight from Chicago. My luggage was lost so I had to deal with that for a while. I finally pulled out of the airport onto the 405 (short entrance ramp) during rush hour traffic. I was running on only a few hours sleep so anyway. As I was getting onto the 405, I realized my lights weren't on and since it was a rental, I didn't know where the switch was. Then I had to make a very difficult 3.5 hour drive to Palm Springs starting in rush hour traffic. I figured the lights out but it's a miracle I made it alive.
How can one explain having to pay $30/day or more on a rental car? Some are even $50/day. That's equivalent to $1500/month. Are we really to believe that someone driving a rental car is 5-15X as risky as an owned car? If so, that would be equivalent to someone with a BAC over the legal limit!
What gives?
Have you seen how people treat rentals? I'm sure there are video's, displaying "evidence..."
Now, regarding the cost of renting..if you think $30/day is a lot, go ahead and check the rates for a Harley for the day.
There are a few reasons why the insurance sometimes makes sense via the rental company:
1.) You don't qualify for the credit cards that offer rental insurance (i.e. your FICO is below 700) or you just don't have one before your trip.
2.) You don't carry comprehensive car insurance. For some people, if their primary vehicle is not financed / leased and they own the car outright, they only carry collision instead of comprehensive (i.e. their car is only worth $5,000, completely owned, and they take the premium savings of not having comprehensive). If you are renting a car though, you may want comprehensive in case the rental got hit by a falling tree branch, et.
3.) People traveling from abroad where their insurance is not valid in the USA.
4.) You are driving in an environment you aren't used to, think there is a good chance you'll crash, and don't want the claim on your own insurance (and higher long term premium). An example would be somebody who is used to driving in a rural area with wide open parking lots, renting a car in San Francisco and needing to parallel park, drive down narrow roads, manage one-ways, et... and is a little nervous to rent a car, but is willing to pay to reduce their risk of a claim on themselves.
There are a few reasons why the insurance sometimes makes sense via the rental company:
1.) You don't qualify for the credit cards that offer rental insurance (i.e. your FICO is below 700) or you just don't have one before your trip.
2.) You don't carry comprehensive car insurance. For some people, if their primary vehicle is not financed / leased and they own the car outright, they only carry collision instead of comprehensive (i.e. their car is only worth $5,000, completely owned, and they take the premium savings of not having comprehensive). If you are renting a car though, you may want comprehensive in case the rental got hit by a falling tree branch, et.
3.) People traveling from abroad where their insurance is not valid in the USA.
4.) You are driving in an environment you aren't used to, think there is a good chance you'll crash, and don't want the claim on your own insurance (and higher long term premium). An example would be somebody who is used to driving in a rural area with wide open parking lots, renting a car in San Francisco and needing to parallel park, drive down narrow roads, manage one-ways, et... and is a little nervous to rent a car, but is willing to pay to reduce their risk of a claim on themselves.
You can carry liability + collision instead of liability + comprehensive.
Liability + collision only wouldn't cover non-accident events to your car like a tree falling on it, fire, water damage, et. but does cover your car in an at fault collision et.
And yep, some people can even drop collision and do liability only if they don't care about getting their car replaced or fixed after an accident.
People with liability only should also consider getting some coverage when renting because the rental car is definitely worth more and can't just be junked.
There are a few reasons why the insurance sometimes makes sense via the rental company:
1.) You don't qualify for the credit cards that offer rental insurance (i.e. your FICO is below 700) or you just don't have one before your trip.
2.) You don't carry comprehensive car insurance. For some people, if their primary vehicle is not financed / leased and they own the car outright, they only carry collision instead of comprehensive (i.e. their car is only worth $5,000, completely owned, and they take the premium savings of not having comprehensive). If you are renting a car though, you may want comprehensive in case the rental got hit by a falling tree branch, et.
3.) People traveling from abroad where their insurance is not valid in the USA.
4.) You are driving in an environment you aren't used to, think there is a good chance you'll crash, and don't want the claim on your own insurance (and higher long term premium). An example would be somebody who is used to driving in a rural area with wide open parking lots, renting a car in San Francisco and needing to parallel park, drive down narrow roads, manage one-ways, et... and is a little nervous to rent a car, but is willing to pay to reduce their risk of a claim on themselves.
With respect to #4, people who carry insurance and than are afraid to use it when they are in an accident baffle me. What's the point in their having it at all? Anyway, I've rented cars and driven in many cities here and abroad. Never had an accident after years of doing it. I just don't relate.
You can carry liability + collision instead of liability + comprehensive.
Liability + collision only wouldn't cover non-accident events to your car like a tree falling on it, fire, water damage, et. but does cover your car in an at fault collision et.
And yep, some people can even drop collision and do liability only if they don't care about getting their car replaced or fixed after an accident.
People with liability only should also consider getting some coverage when renting because the rental car is definitely worth more and can't just be junked.
Maybe North Carolina insurance is different than the states where I've lived (PA, FL, MD) but liability coverage is required by the state while collision and comprehensive is required by the lien holder until the vehicle is paid off. Many people do drop one or both of the latter after it becomes too expensive to be worthwhile (we're having that discussion now about collision on the older Forester, the premium for collision coverage on it are almost as much as the value of it).
I agree with your last statement and I have the feeling they'd be required to contract the rental company's coverage if their insurance was liability only.
That seems to be the standard line because they need to "sell" it, so make people see the "chance" they are taking and, in their impatience, they wont take the time to think about, they sign up for the insurance and pay the fee.
One might as well say, "you know, if you drive your car and get in an accident, your insurance will go up you know, so best not to drive anywhere and take an uber/taxi instead". See how stupid that sounds? Same thing.
Bottom line is that driving is a risk. You have insurance to protect you. Might as well use it as your driving anyway, whether in a rental or your own.
It's still the difference between "you're driving a car you're not familiar with, possibly in a size/shape you're not familiar with, possibly in an area you're not familiar with" vs "you're driving the thing you're in maybe every day." His advice-- even to me-- was, "get it for at least the first couple of days until you're used to the thing."
It's still the difference between "you're driving a car you're not familiar with, possibly in a size/shape you're not familiar with, possibly in an area you're not familiar with" vs "you're driving the thing you're in maybe every day." His advice-- even to me-- was, "get it for at least the first couple of days until you're used to the thing."
By which time you'll forget to cancel
About half of accidents occur within 5 miles of home. Partly that's because a lot of your driving does happen to be within 5 miles of home, but it's not half. No, the reason why you'd need that extra coverage driving a vehicle you're comfortable with on the roads you're most familiar with is *drum roll* that's when you're not paying as much attention as you should.
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