Winter time brings snow, unless you happen to live somewhere that is warm all year round. Once there is enough snow on the ground, many people decide that the time is right to go snowmobiling. Before you bundle up and head out into the cold, make sure that you have the proper protection. Snowmobile insurance is very important if you own a snowmobile.
Every year, accidents happen that involve snowmobiles. Many accidents involve collisions between a snowmobile and a tree, (or other stationary object). There is no doubt that snowmobiling can be a dangerous sport. Allstate Insurance has some suggestions about how to stay safe while riding your snowmobile.
Before you ride, take the time to plan ahead. Check over your snowmobile, and make sure it is functioning properly, before you go for a ride. Make sure you know where you are going to ride, and for how long you will be out in the cold. Familiarize yourself with the correct hand signals that are used to communicate with other people who are also riding snowmobiles. This can prevent an accident from happening. Do not ride your snowmobile across what you think is an entirely frozen lake or river. Ice can be deceptively thin, in places, and you cannot know for certain that it will safely hold the weight of yourself and your snowmobile. Let common sense guide your decision making when it comes to riding your snowmobile.
Snowmobile insurance generally has five parts to it. It includes liability coverage, which is designed to cover the cost of the damages you cause in a snowmobile accident. It covers the cost of medical bills in case someone else becomes injured. It also covers the cost of repairing or replacing any property you damage with your snowmobile. The medical portion is the part that specifically covers the cost of medical expenses for the other driver if he or she gets hurt due to a snowmobile accident.
The uninsured or underinsured motorist part of snowmobile insurance pays for expenses that are from bodily injury or death due to a snowmobile accident that was caused by an uninsured snowmobile driver, an underinsured one, or one who is at fault and decides to “hit and run”.
It functions similarly to how the uninsured or underinsured motorist portion of a typical auto insurance policy works. If the accident you were involved in was caused by the other snowmobile driver, that person is responsible for paying for the cost of whatever medical care you require due to the accident. Sadly, not everyone is going to be a responsible snowmobile driver, and the person who crashes into you might not have bothered to get a snowmobile insurance policy. If so, then your own snowmobile insurance policy will cover the cost that the other person is responsible for, but isn’t actually paying for.
Other portions of snowmobile insurance are designed specifically to protect your own snowmobile. Collision covers the cost of any damage done to your snowmobile, due to an accident. The comprehensive portion covers damages that happen to your snowmobile due to fire, theft, or vandalism.
Image by Timo Newton-Syms on Flickr