Debunking Myths About Car Insurance For People With Disabilities

People with disabilities sometimes pose difficult decisions regarding how they can be insured by auto insurance companies, and there are two common myths about drivers with disabilities and car insurance that should be debunked so that more people can feel at ease about their situations.

 The Two Myths In Question:

• People With Disabilities Cannot Get Auto Insurance.

• When These People Get Auto Insurance, It Is More Expensive.

 Guaranteed Protection Of Rights

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, and guarantees citizens with disabilities the right to go where they wish, work where they are qualified to be employed, and drive their own vehicles without undue consideration being given to their particular disability. This means that just as a disabled person is entitled to have access to public transportation, they are also entitled to auto insurance coverage from the insurance provider of their choice, without discrimination based solely on the grounds of having that disability.

Risk And Auto Insurance

In the case of auto insurance, a person may not be denied coverage or charged a higher premium due to their disability unless there is sound documented evidence that the disability increases the risk to that person or others during the course of operating a motor vehicle. For instance, a diabetic who has a hypoglycemic attack could without warning pose a severe threat to themselves and the other drivers on the roadway, and insurance companies must take this into consideration when writing the policy, and charge premiums accordingly.

Fair Coverage For Disabled Americans

One example of how a disability will not affect the premiums is with person who have suffered the loss of a limb. Amazingly, research has shown that this disability is actually a lower risk driver. For whatever reasons, these people tend to be more cautious and courteous, and pose less of a threat than an unimpaired driver.