Weekend-only auto insurance, in reality, is a myth. It is impossible to purchase an insurance policy that works intermittently on only certain days of the week. However, you can purchase a cover for your leisure vehicle. This would save you money since, if you are sure that you only drive your car on weekends, car insurance providers offer low mileage discounts.
How can you pay reduced premiums on a typical car insurance policy?
Even though you can’t limit your coverage to only apply on the weekends, there is a way to profit from the fact that you drive less than the average person.
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Your driving record and individual driving habits are major factors that influence your auto insurance prices. To assess your risk level, auto insurance firms inquire about your driving habits and whether you commute in your vehicle.
The insurance company will likely perceive you as a reduced risk if you intend to drive for fun on the weekends. You will therefore be eligible for cheaper insurance rates and perhaps even discounts. The pleasure use rating is one of the strategies to reduce weekend driving rates.
Is pay-per-mile an option for driving on the weekends?
Weekend drivers might choose pay-per-mile insurance because you only pay for your travel miles. A low base rate determines the overall cost, and then a per-mile rate is added to reflect the actual amount of miles traveled each month.
Although this kind of coverage is not widely available, if you can manage to find it in your area, it is an excellent option for weekend travel.
What does ‘Pleasure Use’ mean in Car Insurance?
From an insurance perspective, an automobile used for leisure instead of commuting to and from work or school qualifies as ‘pleasure usage.’ According to insurance companies, automobile usage is categorized as either work, commuting, or pleasure.
Because it poses the least risk, pleasure use attracts the lowest vehicle insurance rates. In pleasure use, one accumulates fewer miles under less demanding circumstances. As a result, owners of vehicles used for pleasure are less likely to be sued.
How is a Classic or Vintage Automobile Insured?
A pleasure-use vehicle would often be a vintage or classic car. Car collectors often use their vehicles only on the weekends to cruise. Such older vehicles could be eligible for specialized classic car insurance coverage. Collector cars and bikes qualify for specialized insurance that values the automobile at its agreed-upon worth and is less expensive.
To know if a vehicle qualifies for classic automobile insurance, here are some of the essential rules:
- The car must be safely garaged.
- The vehicle must be unusual or different and at least 25 years old (this figure varies depending on the registration state.)
- The insured car cannot be utilized as the principal mode of transportation.
- The car must conform to the limited usage policies, which may differ from business to company and include a yearly mileage limit.
Related: 30 Classic Cars That Stand The Test of Time
Is temporary insurance a good idea?
For those who may require auto insurance just for a single weekend, such as while renting a car or borrowing a friend’s automobile, there is the solution of purchasing short-term insurance.
A brief auto insurance coverage is only appropriate in certain circumstances. In instances where you own the automobile or if you’ll be using a car someone else’s every weekend, temporary insurance coverage is not the appropriate option. For such circumstances, you must consider a specialist non-owner automobile insurance coverage to safeguard your legal responsibilities.
What is short-term or temporary car insurance?
In general, insurance companies don’t provide interim or short-term auto insurance contracts for shorter than six months. Some insurance websites may claim to have programs for temporary vehicle insurance for 1 to 4 weeks. However, on requesting a quote online, the website is likely to connect you only to a regular licensed agent who would offer only a minimum tenure of six months.
Therefore, in cases where you foresee needing insurance for only a brief period, say one or two months, you are likely required to get six-month coverage. The only way to get actual short-term insurance is if either you don’t own the car but still require insurance, like renting, for instance.
How can I adjust my insurance for short-term situations?
Following are some typical temporary circumstances when dropping or adding coverage might be prudent:
Insurance coverage for student drivers
If your child or dependant only drives during the school year’s winter and summer breaks, you should make short-term adjustments to your insurance coverages. Subject to factors like the student’s age and driving record, it is possible to save upto a couple of thousand dollars annually by temporarily suspending auto insurance coverage when they are not around.
It is, however, essential to re-include them on your policy when they return for the summer and winter vacations. While these adjustments are often possible, some insurance providers insist on including all licensed or age-eligible family members on a policy, even if they don’t all drive regularly.
Some insurance providers, like State Farm, offer discounts to consumers who keep their college-aged drivers on the policy. Other insurers do provide similar savings opportunities. It would be worth the effort to enquire about such opportunities for savings.
Adding a driver temporarily to your policy
While lending your automobile to a friend or colleague for a quick trip, adding a short-term driver to your policy is usually unnecessary. This is because permissive user clauses in most auto insurance policies safeguard your vehicle when another driver occasionally borrows it, as long as the lending period is brief.
However, if you need someone to care for your children or drive you about for an extended period, including them in your auto insurance policy becomes necessary. While adding a temporary driver, be sure to provide personal details on the additional driver. If the additional person no longer needs access to your vehicle regularly, you can remove them from your coverage.
Your premiums will increase if you add a temporary driver to your policy. However, the added peace of mind is well worth it to handle the situation where the temporary driver causes an accident.
Insurance for automobile rentals
Although it may be tempting to purchase the rental vehicle company’s temporary insurance, it would be wise to verify your vehicle policy’s coverage requirements first. Chances are that your own vehicle insurance policy could cover you adequately while driving a rental car.
Additionally, several credit card companies offer additional rental car insurance when paying with that card. It is important to note that personal auto insurance coverage does not cover an automobile temporarily used for professional purposes. While renting a car on business, it is essential to get temporary insurance coverage from the rental agency.
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Short-term International auto coverage
If you are thinking of taking a road trip across the borders, temporary overseas coverage can be added to your motor insurance policy if necessary. Many insurance companies, like Farmers and Progressive, cover you in Canada if you live in the United States. Before your trip do verify your insurance coverage. For example, short trips through Ontario may already be covered by your insurance policy you have, but a trip via Mexico is not.
If you are an international visitor to the United States, temporary auto insurance is mandatory for all visitors from other countries. Temporary auto insurance can be purchased through a car rental agency if you are a temporary foreign tourist.
Storing a vehicle
Short-term insurance is the right solution if you need to store your vehicle for a while. Full insurance coverage may be useful even while you’re not driving because of the possibility of theft or damage. Unregistering your vehicle and returning your license plates may also be mandatory if you do not always keep liability insurance on it.
Conclusion
In this article, we have seen that while there is no such thing as weekend driver insurance, multiple strategies exist for reducing your premiums. However, to avoid denied claims, it is necessary to inform the insurance company of the actual nature of the use of your automobile. Even if you drive on the weekends, a properly executed insurance policy gives you peace of mind.
