Insurance Coverage for Off-Road Vehicles

British Columbia offers a variety of ways to get outside this summer. Whether you are hitting the trails or just the great outdoors, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your insurance policy has you protected. The friendly team at Mountainview Insurance in Abbotsford want to help you protect your investment and let you focus on having fun. Here are some of the things that you need to know about insurance coverage for off-road vehicles before you hit the trails this summer.

What do you need to know about snowmobile insurance before hitting the slopes?

Not All Policies Offer Off-Road Coverage

The first thing that you should know before taking any off-road vehicle out this summer is that very few car insurance policies include coverage for off-roading. This means that if you take your street legal, insured vehicle off the road this summer, your car insurance policy will not cover you if you get into an accident. While some policies might provide you with limited off-road coverage at no additional cost, you are only covered if it is expressly written into the plan itself. If you are not covered for off-roading, you may want to compare car insurance policies and find one that has the coverage you need.

You should also keep in mind that your house insurance does not cover vehicles, ATV, side-by-side, or otherwise. This means that unless you secure a separate insurance policy, your vehicles will not be covered.

Do you need snowmobile insurance in BC?

Off-Road Vehicle Coverage

While many standard car insurance plans do not include off-road coverage, there are plans that are specifically designed for this purpose. When looking for off-road coverage, you should look for a policy that includes:

• Collision protection – driving off-road means that you will be at risk of hitting rocks, tress, fences, and other debris.
• Bodily injury protection – this policy will prevent you from being liable in the event that a passenger or bystander is injured from your off-road driving.
• Property damage – this coverage will handle costs in the event that you damage someone’s home, yard, vehicle, or other property.
• Comprehensive physical damage – pays for covered losses caused by an incident other than collision (i.e. fire, theft, or vandalism).

What does snowmobile insurance cover?

Keeping Insurance Costs Low

There are several factors that can affect the cost of insuring an off-road vehicle. Some of the ways that you can keep your insurance costs low are:

• Be safe – having violations on your driving record or claims on your insurance policy can make your rates go up.
• Choose your vehicle carefully – some models of off-road vehicles, ATVs, snowmobiles, or dirt bikes are considered more aggressive machines, which means that they can cost more to insure.
• Own and insure more than one – with many carriers, you can receive a discount if you insure more than one off-road vehicle on your policy.
• Ask about discounts – you might qualify for a discount if you are a member of an ATV club or organization, or if you have taken an approved safety course.

If you would like to learn more about insurance coverage for off-road vehicles, or if you are interested in one of our policies, please contact Mountainview insurance at 604-557-0255 or by requesting a quote on our website.