Is Your Teen Delivering Pizzas This Fall? Unless You Change Your Policy, Your Washington Auto Insurance Policy Probably Isn't Going to Cover Them!

Is Your Teen Delivering Pizzas This Fall? Unless You Change Your Policy, Your Washington Auto Insurance Policy Probably Isn't Going to Cover Them!

Now that summer's coming to a close your teenager is probably looking around for a part time job to replace the forty hour a week grindstone they've been milling all summer. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of jobs that offer the nighttime and weekend hours your teen needs. Delivering pizzas is an excellent option for many teens when you're talking about hours and flexible scheduling, but watch out! Unless you make arrangements ahead of time, your Washington auto insurance company probably isn't going to cover them!

Make Sure Your Car's Covered

When you first purchased your auto insurance policy you probably answered what felt like a million questions about your car, where you lived and how you would be using your vehicles. One of those questions should have addressed

Teens delivering pizza are at a high risk for an accident. Is your auto insurance policy ready?

the issue of using your car for business purposes. Why? Because vehicles that are out on the highway during the day for business are more likely to be involved in an accident than those that sit in a parking lot all day.

Extra risk equals higher auto insurance rates.

Delivering pizzas, even part time, is considered to be using your car for business purposes. Add to that the extra risk of putting a teenager behind the wheel in the first place and you've got an almost instant recipe for disaster in the eyes of your Washington auto insurance provider. That's why most of them aren't going to touch any accidents that happen during work hours with a ten foot pole! Since you don't want to be left holding the bill for thousands of dollars in car repairs, however, it's important to talk to your auto insurance agent and see if you can work something out.

Some Washington auto insurance companies might be willing to cover part time use of your family vehicle for business purposes after raising your insurance rates. Others may require you to purchase a commercial vehicle policy, which is much more expensive but will pick up the cost of your repairs (and make sure you're not left without a car because your teenager was involved in a fender bender on a delivery run).

Does Their Employer Have a Non-Owned Auto Insurance Policy?

As tempting as it is to avoid sticking your nose in the middle when your teenager has finally gotten around to getting their own job, there are a few times when it's perfectly acceptable to be a nosy parent. Especially when you're getting ready to hand over your car keys!

Is your child's employer carrying a non-owned auto insurance policy? All delivery companies are required to carry a non-owned auto insurance policy that provides your child with liability insurance when they're driving their own vehicle during company hours. This isn't going to cover the cost of repairs to your vehicle, but it can cover the cost of any lawsuits that might arise (as well as repairs to any other bumpers, guardrails, headlights and street signs involved in the accident).

With school right around the corner the time to start investigating your Washington auto insurance options is now, before your teen starts asking for your keys. If you're extremely lucky they'll end up happily ringing up clothes at your local department store, with your car contentedly sitting in the store parking lot, but the last thing you want to do is be blindsided when the time comes for your teen to clock in and make that first pizza delivery run.

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