Rhode Island Car Insurance Information

Rhode Island car insurance follows the pattern of many other states. You are required to carry liability insurance for 25/50/25 and you must carry proof of insurance with you when you are driving, or you can lose your driver's license, or worse. There are several types of insurance other than liability available in Rhode Island. Whether you purchase them or not will depend on your personal situation. If your car is paid for, or a particular type of insurance is not required by either the state or the lender, you may want to consider not carrying it. Here are some things to consider.

Rhode Island car insurance types:
The specific type of insurance might help determine whether you need it or not. For instance, collision and uninsured/underinsured motorists insurance are very similar. If your lender requires collision, perhaps you should think about not carrying uninsured motorists coverage. If your car is paid off, you might want to carry just uninsured/underinsured motorists, which has a lower rate.

Don't jump to conclusions, though. While the coverages overlap, they aren't exactly the same. Make sure you know the differences between the various Rhode Island auto insurance coverage before you make up your mind.

Comprehensive insurance pays for damage to your car resulting from acts of nature or vandalism. It's less expensive than collision, but if you can afford payments for a replacement car it may still not be worth the cost, especially for an older car. Of course, as with collision, comprehensive auto insurance will likely be required by any Rhode Island lender.

The coverage type you select will largely determine your Rhode Island car insurance rates.
Automobile medical insurance coverage pays medical or funeral expenses if you are in an auto accident. If you have other medical, life or funeral insurance policies, this may not be worth the cost. Likewise, if you have another source of income you can use in such an unfortunate case, such as a line of credit that would help pay a funeral expenses, that might make better financial sense in your particular situation. It's worth investigating.

Other auto insurance coverages include towing and rental. Both these items will be an unpleasant expense if needed, but for most drivers they are not a threat to their financial stability and thus may not be worth the cost, especially if you can come up with another ride to work for a few days or have a friend who can help you get your car home or to the shop. In all cases, of course, you should think carefully and get advice from a Rhode Island car insurance agent you trust and from other trusted sources as well.