The state of Texas has certain requirements for all of its drivers. There are certain minimum requirements that are put into place to protect you, your family and other drives on the road in the event of an accident.
Texas requires liability coverage as a mandatory part of your auto insurance coverage. The law requires you to carry bodily injury coverage which is what your insurance company will pay out if you were to cause bodily harm to someone or even death from the effects of an accident. The property damage limit is what your insurance company will pay for damages to another person’s car or property through an accident that you are responsible for.
Texas drivers must carry a minimum of $20,000 coverage for bodily injury to one person in a single accident or $40,000 for everyone that was hurt in the accident and property damage coverage of $15,000.
Your insurance company will provide you with an identification card when you purchase your policy and you must have it on you in case you are stopped by the police, if you have an accident or handle any routine maintenance of your vehicle such as getting new plates or renewing your driver’s license.
If you drive on the streets of Texas without car insurance you will be fined anywhere from $175 to $350. Additional convictions will result in increased fines – $350 to $1,000- a suspended drivers license and impoundment of your vehicle.
The car insurance that you purchased is good in Texas but not in Mexico. You may want to buy Mexican liability insurance from Texas agents who specialize in those types of coverage.
When you add a car to your policy, you will be covered right away, but the new vehicle will carry the same insurance as the car that has the most coverage on your policy now. If you are replacing a vehicle, the new car will take over the same coverage as the vehicle it is replacing.
There is always a question of adding collision damage waivers when you rent a car but you should check with your insurance agent ahead of time to save on any unnecessary costs. If you are already covered through your regular car insurance policy why pay for coverage that you don’t really need?
There are many options and levels of auto insurance coverage in Texas. Take advantage of your insurance professional’s expertise to find out how you can tailor your insurance policy to meet your needs and fit your budget. If in doubt, ask, but don’t cut corners now when it may end up costing you more in the long run.
