Summertime, and the living is easy, at least that\u2019s what Ella Fitzgerald says. The weather is warm, the kids are out of school, and family BBQs are happening. It\u2019s time to take your warm weather toys out of storage and get ready for trips to the river, the lake, or the ocean. The living might seem easy but an accident involving your boat or ATV could complicate things. No matter what your summer plans are, we\u2019re here to make sure you and your toys are covered this summer!<\/p>\n\n\n
Insurance requirements for boats vary from state to state and depend on things like use and horsepower. Generally speaking, most states don\u2019t require boaters to purchase boat insurance and the few that do require insurance, limit the requirement to boats with at least a 50 horsepower engine. Even if your state doesn\u2019t require you to carry coverage on your boat, you may still be required to have insurance if you plan to rent a slip from a marina or if you have financed your boat. It\u2019s important to check with your local marina and your bank to make sure you have any required coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Insurance requirements for ATVs also vary from state to state and depend on where you\u2019ll be riding. ATVs and UTVs are not street-legal so there are no insurance requirements to own one; but if you plan to ride on state-owned land or parks, you will likely need to carry liability coverage for your ATV. If you know you\u2019ll only be riding on land that you own or lease, you aren\u2019t required to carry coverage but it\u2019s still a good idea to consider it. If you\u2019re involved in an accident and you don\u2019t have insurance, you would be financially responsible for any damage you cause and any injuries related to the accident. <\/p>\n\n\n
Even if you aren\u2019t required to carry insurance on your boat, it\u2019s still a good idea to consider it. Accidents happen and insurance will protect you when something goes wrong. Most boat insurance policies are \u201call risk\u201d policies which means you\u2019re covered in a variety of situations including collisions, theft, vandalism, fire, sinking, and storm damage. You may have the option to add coverage for personal items kept on your boat such as fishing gear, wakeboards, surf boards, and other watersports equipment. Even if you don\u2019t feel like you need coverage for physical damage, you may want to consider taking out liability coverage to protect you in the event that you cause damage to someone else\u2019s property or are hit by an uninsured boater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You could say the same thing about insurance for your ATV and other off-road vehicles. You may not be legally required to carry ATV insurance but riding can be risky so it\u2019s a good idea to look at your options. You may want to consider taking out collision coverage to help repair or replace your ATV in the event that you cause an accident or uninsured\/underinsured coverage in the event that someone without coverage hits you. As with boat insurance, you may have the option to add coverage for optional equipment such as loading ramps and safety equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n