Do you often travel by car outside Quebec? To avoid hassles, it’s always better to be prepared and make sure your auto insurance coverage is adequate before you hit the road! Here's some useful information on the topic compiled by La Capitale General Insurance.
1. Your auto insurance covers you wherever you go in Canada and the U.S., but before you leave, make sure the coverage you have is adequate for your trip!
If you have the misfortune of being held liable for injuries caused to third parties while outside Quebec, you can be sued for several hundreds of thousands of dollars. In such a situation, the civil liability coverage included with your home insurance would cover you, but the $1M limit for using the vehicle in Quebec would likely be insufficient. We strongly recommend increasing it to $2M. It will only cost you a few dollars more for peace of mind!
2. The property in your car is covered by your home insurance.
If you ever get into an accident while on the road, or the property inside your vehicle is stolen, you must make two separate insurance claims. This also means you will have to pay two deductibles... unless you bundled your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company. That’s a benefit some insurers offer when you bundle your insurance.
3. Prepare for the unexpected: Get roadside assistance and the Travel costs (broad form) endorsement.
If you spend a lot of time on the road, you will avoid a lot of problems if you have roadside assistance. Usually, this type of assistance is offered free of charge for a pre-determined number of kilometres, but you must pay for any additional mileage.
Also, check if your insurance contract includes the Q.E.F No. 20a – Travel costs (broad form) coverage. Under this coverage, you’ll be able to rent a replacement vehicle if you’re involved in an accident and your vehicle needs to be repaired. It even provides an amount for additional fees incurred by your run-in (e.g. hotel, meals, etc.).
4. Flying to your Canadian or U.S. destination, then renting a car? Your auto insurance contract may cover the vehicle you rent.
How do you know? Check if your contract includes the Q.E.F. No. 27 – Civil liability resulting from damage caused to vehicles of which named insured is not owner coverage. With this coverage, you won’t have to pay for the rental company’s insurance coverage! Obviously, the value of the vehicle must not exceed the limit indicated in your contract (usually between $50,000 and $70,000 Canadian).
5. Are you a camping enthusiast? If you own a trailer, you must take out, at minimum, civil liability coverage.
Your trailer is not covered by your auto insurance. You must have separate coverage for it. In addition to civil liability, certain coverage can prove to be very useful if you run into trouble involving your trailer on the road. Why? Because the roadside assistance that covers your vehicle doesn’t include your trailer. What’s more, if your vehicle is involved in an accident or is stolen, you will have to find a way to bring your trailer back home!
To get the adequate coverage you need, you should shop around for trailer insurance. Certain insurers, such as La Capitale, automatically cover the expenses incurred returning your trailer and include free roadside assistance with their trailer insurance.
For more information on travelling to the U.S. with your trailer, read the La Capitale blog on the subject.
Lastly, remember that your insurance representative is there to advise you, so don’t hesitate to contact him or her before you hit the road.