Car Insurance for Musicians

Are you a musician looking for a great deal on car insurance? While there is no specific car insurance solely for musicians, it helps to look at some of the criteria that you may want to look for when shopping for auto coverage.

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Types of Insurance Musicians Should Consider

If you are a traveling musician, you may want to consider the following types of insurance for your vehicle.

• Liability coverage (required) – Liability coverage is required in every state that requires insurance coverage. You can check your state map of insurance sites to see what the requirement are for your state.
• Collision – Collision insurance covers the damages your car may sustain in an accident, fender-bender, or any collision. It is used to repair your car after an accident, and there is a deductible that you must meet before the insurance pays.
• Medical payments – Medical payments pay for medical treatments and injuries you sustain in an accident and may also pay for any loss of wages due to the time you are off of work if you also have a traditional job.
• Personal injury protection – Personal injury protection is usually not a required coverage, but it can come in handy if you need it. It can pay for time off work and injuries.
• Comprehensive – Comprehensive insurance covers things other than accidents such as vandalism, theft, fire, or acts of nature. If you park your vehicle in a high-crime area, for example, while performing, your car could be stolen or vandalized. Only comprehensive insurance will cover this.
• Roadside assistance – For musicians, this type of insurance may be an important option to add. You will be traveling to towns far away from your home, and you may experience car trouble between towns.

Having roadside assistance assures you that someone will come to your aid if you are ever in this dire situation. It is inexpensive coverage and may be worth adding if you are going to be on the road frequently.

The Life of a Musician

Musicians lead a different lifestyle than most people. They are often on the road traveling from show to show or making public appearances. Depending on the stage you are in with your career, you may be on the road every week.

If so, this increases the risk level to you and others over time.

Insurance companies base their premiums on the level of risk. This risk involves both mortality rates and loss of property and the likelihood of death or loss due to the accident.

Musicians pose a slightly higher risk if they often travel to strange or unfamiliar places, so it is important to shop and compare companies and policies carefully so that you will get the best deal for your money.

Professional musicians often travel to new towns that they are not familiar with. This may increase the chances of a collision. It helps to know the statistics on the likelihood of accidents, even if you are the safest driver on the road.

This site offers a look at state-by-state statistics that lets you see what the chances are of being involved in a car accident in each state.

The Mileage Factor

One factor that is probably going to influence your premium amounts the most will be how many miles you drive on an annual basis.

This is usually figured on an annual basis by insurance companies, but you can share this information with an agent based on a weekly or monthly basis if you choose. They will estimate the yearly mileage and give you a quote based on this.

You may qualify for a low-mileage discount if you do not drive as many miles as what would be considered average for life as a musician or other traveling occupation.

In most cases, if you are a serious musician who is working on your career by doing town-to-town concerts, you will not qualify for a low mileage discount. But there may be other discounts you may be eligible for instead.

Questions to Ask Representatives While Shopping for Insurance

One of the most important things you should do when shopping for insurance is to ask the right questions. It might help to write down a series of important questions that you are going to ask the various companies that you talk to.

Below is a good list of questions that you may want to ask:

• How long has your company been in business? – Knowing how long an insurance company has been in business will tell you how well they are doing. The longer a company is in business, the more reliable and credible they are.
• What is your rating with AM Best or BBB? – This is something you could look for yourself. But if the representative is willing to share this with you, it is a good sign that they are honest.
• What is your turnaround time on claims? – You want to know that you will have your claim paid promptly, in the event of an accident. Musicians should be especially concerned about this since they may be in a far away town if an accident occurs.
• Can I change options on my policy quickly? – It’s important to be able to make changes to your policy quickly if you need to.
• How is your customer service? – Customer service is important and shows a strong commitment to customer satisfaction.
• What options or discounts do you offer? – Know the options or add-on policies and rates as well as any discounts you may qualify for.

Car insurance is important. You can’t feel secure without it. One accident can cost you a huge financial loss or risk your ability to drive if you are uninsured which could greatly impact your music career.

Musicians are on the road a lot, so you should get the best coverage possible and plan for any contingencies as you travel from place to place.

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