Reader’s Question:

My son is planning to sell his car and go without auto insurance next year. However, he is worried that he will be put into high risk if he goes without insurance for that long. Will it hurt him to not carry insurance for a year in Independence, MO? He has a clean driving record.

Cathy

Independence, MO

When you have had a gap or lapse in auto insurance coverage, it may sometimes be difficult to get decent rates once you decide to obtain insurance again. Without having an insurance provider for a year in Independence MO, your son would likely lose some discounts, such as renewal discounts. The worse thing is some insurance companies may not choose to insure him. Some auto insurance companies require at least six months of prior insurance before they will not write you a policy.

You son can shop for cheap auto insurance quotes from companies in Independence, MO, that will insure him even after a gap in his insurance coverage after a year with no insurance. I would also suggest that instead of getting rid of his auto insurance completely, your son may want to think about getting a non-owners policy during the time in which he does not own a car. In this way, he will have continual auto insurance on himself. This serves as a precautionary way of protecting your son while he does not have his own car and drives a borrowed car. A non owner’s policy works as secondary or excess liability coverage if he was in an accident and the damages extended over the car owner’s limits.

Since you mentioned that your son has a clean driving record, it should help his insurance rates. He may want to see if other discounts are available to him to make up for the extra insurance expense your son may receive due to not having previous coverage in the last 6 months.

Ask for discounts, you never know what you might be able to get and how much you can save by asking. Some popular discounts can be given for:

1. Military personnel

2. Good grade students

3. Union membership and bank member affiliations

4. Safe drivers with no claims in last 7 years

5. Defensive driving school attendance

6. Clean credit history – used by many carriers to determine payment risk