Driver Education Focuses On Being Prepared (NAPSA)—With commuting to work, carpooling the kids or just running errands, it’s hard for many people to imagine trying to get everything accomplished without having a car. With more drivers on the road than ever before, however, there is a greater risk that your car will be damaged in an accident, according to the Insurance Information Institute (L.1L.1.), a non-profit communications organization. The LII. says that although you’re required to have a minimum level of insurance to register your car, the coverage is not guar- anteed to meet your individual needs. You need enough insurance to cover potential liability from an accident and repair your damaged car. Standard coverage generally does not provide a replacement rental car while repairs are being made, which can take a couple of weeks. “Without rental car reimbursement coverage, which is only a couple of dollars a month, drivers can end up spending as much as $500 to rent a car to commute to work, drive the kids or run errands,” says Carolyn Gorman, vice president of the I.I.I. “The last thing people need after an accident is significant out-ofpocket expenses.” To help insured drivers increase satisfaction with the auto insurance claims process, ILI. is working with the Consumer Protection Association of America on a nationwide driver education program entitled, “Wiser Drivers Wise Up.” It offers these tips: e File An Accident Report. A police report often helps insurance companies speed up the claims process. Know What Your Insur- ance Covers. Don’t wait to find out until after an accident that your policy doesn’t automatically cover costs for emergency roadside assistance, towing or a replace- ment rental car. For only a couple dollars a month, you can add coverage that provides a rental car for little or no money while yourcaris in the repair shoporif it is stolen. Record Information. After an accident, take down: The name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver’s license number and license plate number for the driver and the owner of each vehicle. Write a description of each car, including year, make, model and color; and record the exact location of the collision and how it happened. Drivers can find a free fill-in-theblank accident information form to keep in the glove compartment at www.wiserdrivers.com. The Insurance Information Institute is at www.iii.org. The Consumer Protection Association of America is at www.consumer pro.com.
