Did Spring Come Early – Pothole Season
Well, based on the bumpy ride of late, you might think that Spring had come early…. But unfortunately it is just Mother Nature playing a cruel trick on us… and our cars … again! With the constantly fluctuating temperature in Ottawa in recent weeks, water gets in to cracks in the roads, refreezes and the wonderful result is feeling like you are driving through a minefield rather than on a nice paved road! This was the pre-lude causing a conversation on twitter with our friends at Goldwing Autocare.
The question was …”Are there (insurance) policies to cover high-end wheels.” In the context that it was asked, we do not have insurance policies specific to covering your wheels exclusively, from Road Hazard like potholes. There may be such a policy available (through tire manufacturers?). Depending on the circumstance – you may be able submit a claim to the City of Ottawa for damages due to potholes – However, this could be a bit of a lengthy process. The best prevention is to avoid the potholes all together – Stay well behind the vehicle in front of you so that you can see them with a lot of warning and avoid these holes that can wreak havoc on your tires and rims. Also, help others avoid the same fate and report the potholes to the city so they can get fixed
Potholes can cause a lot more damage than to just your wheels. You can put in an insurance claim under your car insurance policy for hitting a pothole – if you have collision insurance coverage or “all perils” coverage on your car insurance policy. It is not a special policy just for your wheels, and as such may affect your future insurance costs overall. Although it may not feel like it, hitting a pothole is considered an at-fault claim (which can affect your future premium) and is subject to your deductible, which is often $500-$1000.
It can be quite confusing when trying to determine whether you should put in an insurance claim or not, considering the deductible and the impact on your future insurance costs. Before submitting the insurance claim to the company, call your trusted insurance broker and ask. It won’t be recorded as a claim while you seek our advice, and we can talk about the impacts before making a claim. That is what we are here for! An independent insurance broker works for you, not the insurance company responsible for paying the claim.
So, be careful out there, while we get the negative of potholes, without the positives of Spring Sunshine!