# Rental Cars, Insurance, and "Additional Drivers" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 9, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070 "2006-01-09T00:09:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/1 "2006-01-09T00:09:45Z")
I’m renting a car for my upcoming vacation. Since I’ve been burned before in the past by hidden fees, I asked the agent very clearly if I could expect any additional fees when I went to pay for it. She asked if I’d have any additional drivers. Now, I’m going with another couple and we planned on rotating the designated driver around, hence 4 drivers. So I asked how much an additional driver was and she said, “$8.00 per driver per day.” In other words, to cover the other drivers, it would add $150, or 50%, to the rental cost! So my question is, what would happen if someone else was driving and they got into a wreck? We each have insurance policies, good driving records, valid driver’s licenses, etc. Don’t insurance policies follow the driver and not the car, so what possible difference would it make to Alamo who was driving? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/2 "2006-01-09T01:08:34Z")
Their insurance wouldn’t cover it, assuming you were a moron^H^H^H^H^H^H an uneducated consumer and bought the rental company’s in-house insurance. You’d be in violation of your rental agreement. They’d be within their rights to put you on their “do not rent to” list. I suppose they could blacklist you with the other rental companies if they wanted to, but I don’t know if that’s something that they have a mechanism to do for this violation. Since you’ll be liable for damages if your travel mates’ insurance has lapsed or is breached by damages, I would insist on checking their insurance plans for sane coverage levels, etc. You don’t want to drive in the US with less than a quarter mil in auto liability. A half mil is a lot better, and a $1M umbrella policy is closer to sane. Oh, and if your carrier winds up footing the bill for an accident where one of your friends was driving (just in case, not saying it will happen) that driver will wind up on your auto insurance credit report for the next seven years. That’s OK, unless Bob and Sally have 3 DUIs in the last 6 years that they never mentioned to you… Basically, I’d do it, insurance co. be buggerred, but only if I were to skim my friend’s insurance coverage. Not a bad time to call your insurance agent and discuss hypotheticals. Heck, if you know a claims adjuster who works there and would be willing to talk to you, they’re better, since insurance agents… well, sometimes don’t understand the policies they sell. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/3 "2006-01-09T01:09:54Z")
Oh yeah. Check for penalty clauses in the rental company’s contract. I’ve never seen one, but it’d be an OgBadPlace of a zinger… ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/4 "2006-01-09T01:41:22Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > Don’t insurance policies follow the driver and not the car, so what possible difference would it make to Alamo who was driving? The logic is that if two drivers are named on the rental, the car is likely to be driven a lot more than if it were rented to one driver. So is more likely to be involved in an incident over the period of the rental. And I’d bet my shirt that your own insurance specifically excludes cover for you driving a rental car. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/5 "2006-01-09T01:50:52Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > And I’d bet my shirt that your own insurance specifically excludes cover for you driving a rental car. Likely time to buy a new shirt my good man. Insurance policies on this side of the pond cover rentals so frequently that it can ALMOST be considered universal. The answer here is simple. Car rental companies love to sell you insurance because it is very profitable to them (multiply their rate by your own insurance costs to see why). You need some form of that insurance if you have any drivers that aren’t covered under their own policies. Those policies should include both liability and damage to the rental car itself. All you have to do is make each driver call their own insurance agent and see what is covered. Waive any duplicate coverage. Another scenario is that you pay with a credit card that offers its own rental car insurance coverage for free. That is fairly common also. In any event, it is fairly rare that renters with their own insurance actually need the supplemental insurance. It is just a big windfall for the rental company. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/6 "2006-01-09T01:53:16Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > multiply their rate by your own insurance costs to see why I’m just struggling to comprehend how expensive my insurance would be if they tried to cover rental cars fully-comp!! ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/7 "2006-01-09T02:24:58Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > The logic is that if two drivers are named on the rental, the car is likely to be driven a lot more than if it were rented to one driver. So is more likely to be involved in an incident over the period of the rental. > > And I’d bet my shirt that your own insurance specifically excludes cover for you driving a rental car. Actually, my coverage includes rental cars. And I’m sure my friends’ does as well. I understand that a rental company would want to exclude anyone who has a suspended license, and hence the request for each driver to produce a driver’s license, however assuming we are all kosher, the extra charge, IMO, is completely bogus. In fact, by having multiple drivers we are LESSENING their risk because we alternate designated drivers. I think I’ll call the insurance guy and ask “what if” questions. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/8 "2006-01-09T04:16:22Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > “$8.00 per driver per day.” In other words, to cover the other drivers, it would add $150, or 50%, to the rental cost! Only about 20 times what it probably costs the rental company. Every time I think I’ve figured out how brutal rental car insurance prices can be, I find they’re actually worse. It seems to clearly say that many people who rent cars have no concept of what a day’s worth of insurance actually should cost (or they simply don’t care, because someone else is paying). ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/9 "2006-01-09T05:21:07Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Only about 20 times what it probably costs the rental company. > > SNIP Xema, That $8/driver/day in the OP’s post is NOT the insurance. That’s just the “operating fee” to add one driver to the rental. That is the suck part, to me. I mean… if they’re afraid it’s going to be a high-mileage rental trip, they need to control that factor using a per-mile charge or mileage quota… It’s their business, they can do what they want, but it reeks of asshaterry to me. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/10 "2006-01-09T05:24:07Z")
Dubious spelling aside, my apologies for using the made-up profanity included in my above post. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/11 "2006-01-09T15:19:17Z")
On the “extra driver” thing: we recently rented a car on vacation and found out that our AAA card gave us a discount on the extra driver - I forget how much extra it would’ve been per day but with AAA, it was free. So if one of your group is a member of the auto club, check to see if that’s a benefit. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/12 "2006-01-09T23:22:53Z")
Do you have AAA? The last time I rented a car, I discovered that I could add another driver for free, because I’m a AAA member. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/13 "2006-01-10T00:52:28Z")
> [@Tastes of Chocolate](#): > > Do you have AAA? The last time I rented a car, I discovered that I could add another driver for free, because I’m a AAA member. Thanks for the suggestion, Mama and Tastes. I do indeed have AAA but didn’t rent via AAA. I’ll check the policy to see what it says about free drivers. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/14 "2006-01-10T03:18:33Z")
It has been a while, but I used to work for a major rent a car company. The extra driver fee is an extra profit charge. Still, you really, really don’t want to be an unauthorized driver on a rental car contract. I’m sure you’re well insured, I’m sure your insurance will cover everything. Still, it won’t. Here is what could happen. There is a chance you could be arrested. The rental car company which OWNS the car might consider you to have stolen the car. Second, you won’t get another car. Umm, you’re stranded somewhere? Third, there is a chance you’ll be nickled and dimed to death. Your insurance most likely won’t cover “loss of use” fees. The rental car company will be likely to charge these if an unauthorized driver was cited during an accident. So, do what ever you need to to avoid being an unauthorized driver on a rental car. Unless it is a true bona fide emergency, it is a very unpleasant experience. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/15 "2006-01-10T16:39:22Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Here is what could happen. There is a chance you could be arrested. The rental car company which OWNS the car might consider you to have stolen the car. We will all be together. The renter (me) will be present at all times. > [@](#): > > Second, you won’t get another car. Umm, you’re stranded somewhere? Ah, to be stranded in Maui without a rental car… > [@](#): > > Third, there is a chance you’ll be nickled and dimed to death. Your insurance most likely won’t cover “loss of use” fees. The rental car company will be likely to charge these if an unauthorized driver was cited during an accident. > So, do what ever you need to to avoid being an unauthorized driver on a rental car. Unless it is a true bona fide emergency, it is a very unpleasant experience. If rental companies really didn’t want unauthorized drivers, they would make the additional driver fee more reasonable, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/16 "2006-01-10T17:22:35Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > SNIP > > Here is what could happen. There is a chance you could be arrested. The rental car company which OWNS the car might consider you to have stolen the car. SNIP Are you personally aware of this having ever happenned to a person who operated a rental car with the permission of the renter? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/17 "2006-01-10T21:25:47Z")
If the extra driver is a spouse, then there’s no need to put two names on the rental agreement. ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/18 "2006-01-10T23:38:02Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > If the extra driver is a spouse, then there’s no need to put two names on the rental agreement. I don’t know if this is true. I recently rented a car with my wife and put myself down as the only driver. I did all the driving, except that circumstances forced my wife to drive it back to the rental place (two blocks away). the guy had a hissy fit & charged me the alternate driver fee for all 3 days. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/19 "2006-01-11T00:15:18Z")
With Hertz #1 Club Gold, your spouse and fellow employees are automatically additional drivers. > [@](#): > > Authorized Operators > > Acceptable Authorized Operators age 25 and older are automatically covered on the Rental Agreement. > Authorized Operators are: > > - The employer, employee or fellow employee of renter on company business, (when booking includes company Corporate Discount Number). > - The renter’s spouse for rentals that originate in California, Nevada or New York. > - The spouse (including partners in Vermont Civil Unions) or domestic partner of Hertz Number One Club, Number One Club Gold or Platinum members. > - Authorized Operators do not have to be present at time of rental. > - There are no fees for Authorized Operators. If you want to add another driver, it costs $9 per day, $45 maximum. AAA, USAA, AARP, and some others aren’t charged. > [@](#): > > Additional Authorized Operators Fees > USD 9.00 per day, maximum USD 45.00 per rental, for each Additional Authorized Operator. > > Exceptions - > > California - no fee for Additional Authorized Operators > > Nevada - no fee for the first Additional Authorized Operator. The second and subsequent drivers are USD 5.00 per day, up to a maximum charge of USD 35.00 per driver, per rental. > > NY State - USD 3.00 per Additional Authorized Operator per day with a maximum charge of USD 35.00 per rental. This fee applies to all locations in New York State. Authorized and Additional Authorized Operators must be a minimum of 25 years of age. > > AAA - Spouse/Domestic Partner of AAA members are not required to have a separate AAA membership in order to receive the free AAO privileges. For other rentals, the AAO fee is also waived when both the renter and the AAO are AAA members. > > USAA - No charge for qualified Additional Authorized Operators who are USAA members when signing on to a qualified USAA rental. > > AARP - No charge for qualified Additional Authorized Operators who are AARP members or member’s spouse when signing on to a > qualified AARP rental. Check the details of your rental company when making the reservation. If they have some stupid restriction you don’t like, consider another company. It is possible to have your own car insurance cover you in a rental car. The trick is that such coverage isn’t listed as “Rental Car” on your policy – that coverage is for use of a rental car while yours is being repaired. Make sure your agent gives you a rider that covers any vehicle you drive, and tell them you will be driving rental cars. If you have several operators, each should have this coverage, since it applies to the driver, not the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2006, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070/20 "2006-01-11T06:20:04Z")
> [@Mr. Slant](#): > > Are you personally aware of this having ever happenned to a person who operated a rental car with the permission of the renter? Absolutely yes. I worked customer service for a major rental car company from in 1999-2000. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rental-cars-insurance-and-additional-drivers/339070.md?page=2)