Cheap Temporary Car Insurance (Short Term & Month to Month)

Temporary car insurance protects those using a car for only a short amount of time. Although you may find yourself in a situation in which you will only be using a car for a short period of time, you will still find yourself legally responsible for the vehicle as well as passengers or anyone you may get into an accident with.

The nature of driving is such that it is unpredictable. Drivers have no guarantee that they will be safe driving a vehicle, even if it is only for a short amount of time. It is best not to take any risks and instead ensure that you are properly insured.

There are multiple situations in which you may find yourself in need of temporary car insurance.

Types of Insurance

Non-Owner Liability Insurance

When renting or borrowing a vehicle that does not belong to you, you will likely want to consider receiving non-owner liability insurance. This insurance recognizes that you are not the owner of the vehicle but still remain liable for any damage to said vehicle during the time it is insured and under your possession.

This type of insurance differs slightly from short-term insurance policies.

Short-Term Insurance

Most insurance policies are sold to auto-owners on a 6-month basis. For this reason, if you will be the owner of the vehicle for a short amount of time, you may find yourself eligible for regular insurance.

Compare rates; if you can find affordable insurance on a 6-month basis and will own the car you will be driving for only a short amount of time, you may be able to purchase or transfer a preexisting regular insurance policy to the vehicle.

Pre-Existing Insurance

Some pre-existing insurance policies cover temporary vehicles. In order to be sure your insurance does this, it is best not to assume and to instead contact an agent from your insurance company.

An agent will be able to best break down your policy and give you a straight yes or no answer as to whether your temporary vehicle will be covered by your insurance. If so, they will also be able to tell you exactly what the insurance will cover. As with regular insurance, you will have to check rates and limits regarding liability, physical damage, additional drivers, maintenance, personal item recovery, and more.

Medical Costs

Likewise, medical costs can be the source of crippling debt for many. While no one expects to get into a serious accident, the severity of an accident may have little to do with extensive medical costs. Those who report being hurt in fender benders often experience lasting back problems that they will carry with them through the majority of their lives.

A simple collision can cause damage to the spine that requires years of insurance-subsidized chiropractor visits for multiple parties. The last thing you want is to end your vacation or tenure as a ride-share driver being sued for medical costs for which you have no insurance to help cover.

Mechanical Malfunctions

While rental and new vehicles must undergo regular check-ups in order to assure they are in good working condition, the possibility a vehicle will experience loss of functionality while you are using it is highly possible.

In the event that your vehicle will need routine repairs, temporary insurance will likely be able to cover the cost of otherwise expensive mechanic bills.

Even worse, vehicles may malfunction so severely that drivers find them to be unusable. Oftentimes, rental agencies will gladly swap out your vehicle for a functioning one. At other times, the rental agency may attempt to find you at fault for the vehicle’s malfunction under your care.

Temporary car insurance can help alleviate the damage of these often unavoidable occurrences when using a vehicle that is not yours.

Towing Services

It happens to the best of us. One gets a flat tire and finds themselves in need of roadside assistance or towing. Batteries die, and drivers in foreign countries find themselves accidentally off-roading with vehicles ill-equipped for such adventures.

In times like these, you’ll likely not want to deal with the sudden expense and hassle of finding a towing company. Instead, your temporary car insurance may be able to provide a tow for you for free or at a reduced cost, as well as save you the hassle of vetting towing companies you may not be familiar with while on vacation.

When Do I Need Temporary Car Insurance?

Ride-Share Drivers

While you may find yourself in need of ride-share insurance as a ride-share driver, you may also need to look into temporary car insurance if you do not own the vehicle you are driving.

If you are in-between vehicles and using a vehicle as a placeholder it is of great importance that you insure the vehicle. As a ride-share driver, any vehicle you drive is more likely than the average vehicle to undergo excessive wear and tear. Be sure to protect the vehicle, even if you are only using it for a short amount of time.

Additionally, if you were to find yourself at fault in an accident that occurs while you are driving for a ride-share, you will be responsible not only for the other vehicle’s damages but any medical bills your passengers may acquire.

Vacationers

If you are renting a vehicle as part of your vacation, you will need to insure it. The last thing you want is to be tied up in litigation somewhere far from home. Avoid the risk of legal complications and ensure the vehicle you are driving is properly protected when you are on vacation.

Most accidents tend to occur in situations in which the party at-fault has relaxed their sense of precaution. This is why many accidents occur when drivers are close to home, as they feel they are able to let their guard down.

Likewise, drivers on vacation similarly let their guard down and forget they are not untouchable when driving in areas foreign to them.

Renting a Car

Even if you are not on vacation, you will need to be sure to insure your vehicle when renting a car. If you find yourself in need of a personal vehicle when between cars or your car is undergoing repairs, you’ll likely choose to rent a car. You must be sure to insure this vehicle.

Again, although you are close to home, you must not operate under the assumption that your vehicle is untouchable. Your vehicle is just as likely, if not more likely, to be damaged when you are driving in familiar areas. Do not take any chances and be sure to get the proper insurance for your rental vehicle.

Renting Cars Frequently or Temporarily Driving a Vehicle

Similarly, if you will be renting cars on and off for a long period of time or will find yourself purchasing a vehicle you intend to sell shortly, be sure to protect yourself with temporary insurance.

This will help you keep rates down drastically. New vehicle insurance and rental company insurance can both prove to be fairly pricy. When choosing temporary solutions such as these, there is no reason to pay exorbitant prices just to insure a vehicle you will not keep for the long term.

Choosing insurance meant for use on a temporary basis will help to ensure that you are not only protected on the road but protected for a reasonable amount of money.

Borrowing a Car

If you are using a car that belongs to someone else only occasionally, you will likely not see the need to purchase temporary insurance. For example, if you use your partner’s vehicle to run to the store on weekends, you will probably not need temporary insurance.

If, however, your partner lends you their vehicle for an extended period of time, you would do well to consider purchasing temporary insurance for the vehicle. Your partner’s, or other loved ones, insurance will likely cover other drivers with their vehicle.

If, however, you find yourself in a situation in which the ownership of the vehicle becomes murky because you are driving it quite often, you would do well to consider insuring the vehicle for yourself, if only temporary.

The person whose car it is will likely thank you in the event that you get into an accident or something goes wrong with the vehicle. Their insurance rates may not go up and they may feel better knowing they will not experience any liability for any mishaps that occur when you borrow their vehicle, making it more likely they will consider lending you their vehicle again in the future.

Is Temporary Car Insurance Affordable?

As with all car insurance, your temporary car insurance rate will rely on a number of factors. These include your driving record, as well as the type of vehicle you are attempting to insure.

Likewise, you will want to shop around for temporary car insurance, just as you would with regular car insurance. Rental companies will likely offer you temporary car insurance rates that higher simply because consumers don’t have the knowledge that they are able to shop around for their own temporary car insurance at a lower rate.

Similarly, those working for ride-share companies will likely have the company they are working for push a specific type of ride-share insurance on them. Inquire as to the possibility of obtaining your own outside ride-share insurance and shop around for better rates before accepting the suggested insurance.

Your temporary car insurance costs will also depend on the type of coverage you are looking for. If you’re worried about collision insurance, liability, looking for comprehensive coverage, and more, you’ll likely pay more.

It is, however, worth paying for better insurance in most scenarios. Preventative measures often save motorists from headaches and debt in the long run. Accidents and breakdowns are unpredictable. Be sure to look out for yourself when using a temporary vehicle and find the temporary car insurance solution that works best for you.

FAQ

General Temporary Car Insurance Questions

This section covers the basic questions people have about temporary car insurance

Temporary Car Insurance and Specific Companies

We’ll answer common questions about temporary car insurance and specific companies in this section.

Temporary Car Insurance and Specific Locations

This section answers the most popular questions about temporary car insurance in specific places.

Getting Temporary Car Insurance

We’ll help you understand how to get temporary car insurance in this section.

Temporary Car Insurance Claims and Coverage

This section will help you understand how temporary car insurance claims and coverages work

Temporary Car Insurance and New Cars

We’ll answer the most common questions about temporary car insurance and new cars in this section.

Other Temporary Car Insurance Questions

This section covers temporary car insurance questions that don’t fit into our other categories. Check here if you can’t find your answers elsewhere.