Start off on the right foot: Car insurance for foreigners
Get the best rates from your foreign car insurance company. When you don’t have the best deals on car insurance, you may feel you have the excuse to drive a more unsafe vehicle. But why can’t you get the best deal without having to pay higher premiums? Perhaps you have a cheap car that you use for work and personal purposes, so you can’t afford a better deal. Or perhaps you really just want to save money on your insurance, so you can see how much you’re spending on your car each month.
In 2016, car insurance for foreigners got a whole lot tougher. Today’s world has changed beyond recognition, with safety a top priority for everyone. As a result, you have to factor safety into your car insurance planning, and that doesn’t just mean purchasing a more comprehensive policy. It means having the right coverage and getting it in the right place at the right time.
A foreign driver’s insurance can be a major expense for most. You will certainly want to research the insurance rates of companies trying to get you to buy their products. Navigating through the myriad of companies based on price should be an easy task. Fortunately, there is a sort of insurance company that can help you get the best rates, while still finding the lowest coverage possible.
Just arrived in this country and want to drive? You need to learn about insurance as soon as possible.
Car insurance for foreigners
Welcome, you are now in the United States! Whether visiting or deciding to start a new life, one of the first things that must have crossed your mind is being able to drive. The license is the first step, of course. But, apart from the license, and unlike many other countries, you cannot drive here without having car insurance. But do not despair, here we have gathered valuable information that will be very useful to you. The roads await you. And here we go.
Immigrant license and insurance
In this country, everyone needs two things, a license and insurance — or insurance, if you prefer to call it that — before they can drive. For both, the rules depend on the state where you live. For the license, the offices of the DMV (which is in charge of issuing licenses, plates and vehicle titles) usually require a social security number. But if you don’t have it, don’t be discouraged. More and more states can help you get a driver’s license. Check the rules for the state where you reside to see if you’re eligible.
Car insurance: do I have to start from scratch?
When it comes to insurance, it all depends on the coverage you choose, although at first, insurance companies may charge you a little more than usual. And it is that it does not matter if you have many years of experience driving in another country, without a driving record in the United States, you are considered a “new driver”.
Who does car insurance protect?
Have you ever wondered why car insurance is required here before you can drive? Although it seems exaggerated, every time a vehicle circulates through the streets, it is exposed to having an accident. And if it happens to you and you don’t have insurance, you may have to pay out of pocket for your medical expenses and those of others, in addition to repairs. And perhaps you have already heard how incredibly high those costs can be in this country. In other words, the savings you work so hard for every day would go up in smoke. Therefore, insurance that covers your civil liability protects you and your family from the damages for which you would be responsible – up to the limit amount that you choose – if one day you wake up with the wrong foot
The minimum required… it is not the same everywhere
Now, virtually every state requires that you have at least one liability coverage, which generally pays for property damage and medical injury costs that you cause if you were at fault in an accident.
But keep in mind that liability coverage only covers expenses you caused others…and not your own. And that certain states set minimum coverage requirements. Coverage for your own medical expenses is called Personal Injury Protection, known in English as PIP, and in certain states it is mandatory in addition to liability coverage, such as Michigan, Delaware, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, etc. Incidentally, even with PIP coverage, your own car is not covered in the event of an accident.
For that you need other insurance that has collision coverage, which is not mandatory in any state but that you would like to have if one day you crash your car and do not have money to repair it. If you want to know more about it, State Farm offers you a detailed explanation of each coverage to help you make good decisions.
Other minimum coverage
In addition to liability coverage (property damage and bodily injury coverage to others) and PIP coverage, other states such as Illinois, New York, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, among others, require one or more coverages additional. The most important are uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage. Both are about being protected in the event of a problem with someone who doesn’t have insurance or whose insurance coverage is so low that it doesn’t cover the resulting damage or medical costs.
And what happens if I drive without insurance and have no accidents?
But well, let’s suppose that none of this convinces you and that you think you can drive without having accidents. A police officer can pull you over for any other reason, and if you’re driving without car insurance, you’ll have to pay fines ranging from $100 to several thousand dollars. Worse yet, if you’re caught doing it more than once, you risk having your license şişli escort and car registration suspended or revoked.
In short, there is much to learn about insurance in the United States. But you don’t have to know everything. A State Farm agent can explain what you need to know, and often in your own language, as bilingual agents or agents with bilingual staff abound and are all ready to lend a hand.