Car Insurance for Law Enforcement Officers

Law enforcement officers are required to have insurance just like every other citizen, but they have more needs and risks compared to the standard drivers hence the high premiums on their insurance policy.

Law enforcement officers ensure complete security and safety in the community. Some insurance companies would make considerations for their role in the community by covering the equipment carried in their vehicles such as off-duty weapons.

Officers should shop around for the ideal insurance company that suits their need and has some discounts for the policyholders.

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Risks Involved

Law enforcement officers are employees of the state, city, or federal government. Therefore, they qualify for the benefits given to the workers in those departments.

Insurance companies associate their work with the numerous risks making them fall under the high-risk drivers. Some of the risks that the law enforcement workers face include:

• Odd working hours – law enforcers work during the night and this may lead to a high level of exhaustion and lack of attention on the roads. An exhausted driver is highly likely to be involved in an accident.
• Speed – the officers may need to respond to an emergency such as an accident or a robbery, which may require them to drive at high speeds. An insurer may term that as a high-risk driver who is subject to high premiums.
• The neighborhoods – law enforcement officers may respond to a call located in a dangerous area, which is susceptible to car theft or accidents. Therefore, the chances of making a claim are higher than in a safe environment.
• Work stressors – a law enforcement officer should always respond to an emergency call. A mentally exhausted person has a high probability of causing an accident.
• The amount of time spent on the roads – the officers may spend too much time responding to various emergencies. A lot of time on the roads increases the chances of causing an accident.

Insurance Coverage

Every law enforcement officer is required to have minimum liability insurance just like any other citizen. They should read and understand the policy to get clearance on what it includes (either your personal car or just their work vehicle).

They may also include other coverage such as collision and comprehensive. It is worth mentioning that you are a law enforcement officer you should get information on the discounts given to workers in your category.

Some insurance companies may require you to provide a proof of your job before settling for some discounts.

Law enforcement officers should be role models to the other drivers. Therefore, driving without an insurance cover may earn them serious penalties. They are also required to obey all the traffic rules unless they are responding to emergencies.

If they are in court for the violation of any traffic law, they may get help from the International Risk Management Institute. The organization helps in protecting the law enforcers through the personal liability insurance.

Discounts

Despite the valuable services offered by the law enforcement officers, the insurance companies judge them as high-risk drivers leading to high premiums on their policies.

However, they offer discounts ranging from 10-20 percent to all the officers to compensate for their contribution to the community work.

Insurance companies rarely advertise the different benefits that they offer. Law enforcement officers register very low accident and a high degree of adherence to the traffic rules leading to the many discounts.

Some of the standard discounts that they get include:

• Good driving record – law enforcers who register a good driving record despite the many emergencies that they need to attend to are subject to insurance discounts.
• Civil servants discounts – any law enforcement officer regardless of the level of operation, is a public servant, therefore, qualifying for this type of cut.
• Work cuts – most insurance company may give discounts to the law enforcement officers that work in the state and the federal government.
• Military discounts – some law enforcement workers might have previously worked with the army. Anyone who has served on active duty in the Army gets a discount from the insurance providers. Therefore, that is worth mentioning to your insurer.

Group Insurance Coverage

Law enforcement officers work in groups or the units. The workers in one group may consider getting into a group insurance cover, which is cheaper than the individual insurance.

In this case, the employer deducts some amount from the employees’ paycheck that they later send to the insurance company every month.

Some insurance company may discontinue your coverage in cases where you transfer to other organizations or resign from your job. Therefore, it is important to ask the important questions before joining a group.

Reporting a Claim

You should write a police report before filing a claim after an accident while driving a work vehicle. The Internal Affairs is in charge of the investigations involving the law enforcement cars whenever they suspect some degree of recklessness.

However, the courts may be lenient on the law enforcers since their jobs involve encountering criminals who may be escaping from the crime scene.

You may have a challenge suing a law enforcer over an accident where they were at fault since the law requires you to pull over whenever you hear the sirens.

Finding Insurance as a Law Enforcement Officer

Law enforcers do not enjoy attractive rates from the insurer despite their proven record of good driving. However, the various discounts given to the officers compensate for the higher premiums.

It is an offense speeding a vehicle while you are not responding to an emergency.

Compare car insurance coverage premiums today to make sure you get the best rate possible.