There are hundreds of thousands of drivers on the road every day. Some of them are focusing entirely on the road with hands at 10 and 2 and their cellphone safely in the back seat. Others, though, are shaving, putting on makeup, texting or reading email, eating, or any other random thing you can think of that you really shouldn’t be doing in a car. In fact, 416,000 people were injured in accidents where at least one driver was distracted.
But this isn’t really news to anyone. We all know we shouldn’t drive distracted. Since you already know there are so many distracted drivers out on the road, you probably have pretty good car insurance to cover you if something happens. You’re prepared. But do you thoroughly understand what your insurance covers?
Freak accidents do happen. A piece of space junk could land on your car, or your car’s engine could burst into flames. And when the unexpected does happen, it’s nice to know whether a quick call to your insurance agent will take care of the problem. Learn about the lesser-known reasons you need car insurance and decide whether you’ve got the right coverage.
Sinkholes
Did you know your car could literally fall off the face of the earth? That’s what happened to one driver recently who ended up driving into a sinkhole. While common in nature, sinkholes are always startling when they crop-up in urban areas.
A sinkhole occurs when rocks under the surface chemically dissolve. They may develop gradually, or they can occur suddenly. It’s the surprise sinkholes that can swallow-up cars.
Landslides
Rain is generally a good thing. It helps our plants grow and fills our lakes and oceans so we have something to look at while we work on our tans. When a lot of rain meets a lot of dirt over a long period of time, though, strange things happen. It all mixes together and eventually turns to mud. Mud isn’t quite as stable as dry dirt is. And when mud gives way, it takes whatever is on top of it with it. The mud becomes a landslide, winding downhill and wiping out anything in its path.
Floods
During periods of heavy rain, roadways can flood, and getting from one side of town to the other without pontoon runners becomes pretty difficult. In some cases, your car may just be parked in a flood zone. The next thing you know, you can’t find your car anymore because it’s underwater. It happens: levees break, floodwalls crack, and sometimes little Dutch boys aren’t always around to save the day when a dam springs a leak. But you should never, under any circumstances, drive through standing water. The water may be deeper than it looks and could flood your engine – or even worse, sweep you and your car away.
When you’re checking on your car insurance policy, make sure you’re protected from natural disasters common to your area. No one ever thinks they’ll have to deal with a disaster, but being prepared for the worst is the best approach.