If you are planning a trip – at home or abroad – what is it that you are likely to need from your rental car hire insurance? The chances are that your answer is going to include such things as:

• peace of mind;
• security; and
• the reassurance that being in charge of an expensive vehicle – which is also capable of causing damage or injury to others – will not leave you personally liable for making financial reparations (to the rental company for repairs to or replacement of the vehicle or to third parties for any injury or damage).

Some element of rental car hire insurance is widely included in the rate you see advertised by your chosen rental company. The typical insurance package included in this way is designed to give you the security and peace of mind that you will be meeting the minimum insurance cover required by law in the country in which you will be driving.

It is possible that your peace of mind is disturbed, however, by the knowledge that the level of cover being offered in this way is also subject to a significant insurance excess. Depending on the part of the world in which you are likely to be driving, and on the vehicle itself, this excess could range from several hundred to well over a thousand pounds. An excess, of course, is the first part of any claim which will be borne by you personally – it is, effectively, an uninsured risk you agree to bear.

Because this excess can represent such a potentially large uninsured risk, therefore, many drivers seek to enhance their basic rental car hire insurance with excess insurance to protect themselves against such risks.

Similarly, and once again depending on just where you’re likely to be driving, the minimum level of third party cover extended via your vehicle rental agreement might be enough to meet local legal requirements but could fall far short of the insurance you might need to meet all potential third party claims. In those cases, you might want to consider Supplemental Liability Insurance, which gives considerably enhanced indemnity against third party claims – typically up to as much as one million US dollars (or its equivalent in local currency).

For complete security and peace of mind regarding your rental car hire insurance, therefore, you might wish to arrange cover from an independent insurance provider (many of whom advertise online), to ensure that your insurance includes any necessary excess insurance, adequate third party cover, and full protection against your potential liability for any other damage to the hired vehicle.

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