The importance of ATV insurance

Whether you purchased your ATV for working in the yard or riding the trails, you can now take a trip off the beaten path. While trips like these can provide excitement and fun, they also provide uncertainty. To help alleviate this uncertainty, many people decide to protect their all-terrain vehicle with a specialized ATV insurance policy. To help you decide if ATV insurance is right for you, ask yourself the following six questions:

• Will you be taking your ATV off of your property?
• Will you trailer your ATV from one location to another?
• Will you ride your ATV on any state-owned trails?
• Will you be financing your ATV?
• Are you concerned about someone stealing your ATV?
• Is there a chance you or the ATV may be involved in an accident?

If you answered "maybe" or "yes" to any of the above questions, you may want to consider purchasing a specialized ATV insurance policy to make sure you and your ATV are properly covered.

Not convinced yet? Here are some things to consider about each question.

Will you be taking your ATV off of your property?

Many times, homeowners polices are only able to provide coverage if the ATV is physically on the covered property. Unlike those homeowners policies, a specialized ATV insurance policy will cover you and your ATV as far off the beaten path as you want to go.

If you choose to insure your ATV on your homeowners policy, keep in mind that an ATV claim may raise your homeowners premium. Some homeowners policies may also have a limit on the number of claims that can be filed on a policy before declining future business. A separate ATV insurance policy can protect you and your four-wheeler without having that domino effect.

Will you trailer your ATV from one location to another?

If you plan to trailer your ATV between two or more properties, an off-road insurance policy will help protect your ATV while you move it from one location to another.

Will you ride your ATV on any state-owned trails?

Many state-owned trails require all ATV riders to have a minimum liability insurance policy in order to ride on them. A "liability only policy" will protect you from being sued if you are responsible for injuring someone or damaging someone else's property while on your ATV.

Will you be financing your ATV?

Banks and other financial institutions that provide ATV loans usually require you to have an insurance policy with both comprehensive and collision coverage. Collision coverage provides protection for any collision or upset, while comprehensive coverage provides protection for such things as fire, theft, vandalism, hitting a deer, and other acts of nature that may cause damage to your ATV.

Is there a chance you or the ATV may be involved in an accident?

The reality is accidents happen. The hard part is that you never know exactly when, where, or how they will happen. (That's why they're called "accidents".) A specialized ATV insurance policy can provide protection (and more importantly, peace of mind) for you and your quad both on and off your property and can help you determine which coverages are right for you.

Won't this be expensive?

Now we know what you're thinking—how much is this going to cost me? It's hard to say exactly what ATV insurance will cost you as rates depend on many different factors including (but not limited to) where the ATV will be kept, the type of ATV you have, your insurance score, your age, and your driving record. Even though we can't offer an exact price for an ATV insurance policy without quoting; ATV insurance policies are generally very affordable, not to mention invaluable, should you have an accident.

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