Michigan is the state that heralded the birth of the automotive industry in the United States, and so it is no coincidence that it has a loyal motorcycling fraternity. At the heart of which lies Detroit, but equally you can travel around Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights or Flint and you will also see keen motorcycling clubs and committed individual motorcyclists who enjoy the feelings of freedom and liberation that you can only get on a motorcycle. But one thing that they all have in common is that they have made sure to get proper Michigan Motorcycle Insurance so that on any adventures around Michigan they are properly secure and protected.
What are the minimum requirements for Michigan Motorcycle Insurance?
Michigan motorcyclists are legally obliged to have three distinct elements to their insurance which provide basic liability coverage in the event of an accident.
These are:
$20,000 – Personal Injury Liability for one person
$40,000 – Personal Liability cover in total for the whole accident
$10,000 – Property Damage Cover
This is typically referred to as 20/40/10 cover.
Are the minimum state requirements for Michigan Motorcycle Insurance enough?
The minimums that the state of Michigan imposes are not really designed to offer motorcyclists the best possible Michigan Motorcycle Insurance, but rather to set down a very basic level of cover that most people can afford.
In a sense then it is designed from a political perspective to be inclusive, rather than from a safety perspective to offer the best possible levels of cover. The difference that this makes is huge, because it shouldn’t really be seen in the context of being any kind of recommendation about the levels of insurance to buy. But rather simply as a way of ensuring that people do at least have some protection.
What this means is that you need to use some common sense when deciding upon the levels of cover that you need, and weigh those desires up against how much it will end up costing you in the way of premiums.
In many ways it is actually easier to reverse the whole process and shop around for Michigan Motorcycle Insurance Quotes FIRST before doing anything else, because then you can see exactly where you stand.
A few other considerations…
The basic levels of Michigan Motorcycle Insurance cover that Michigan State regards as minimums only cover liability insurance, because they are primarily designed to protect other parties that might be involved in an accident with you. So the focus is very much on others getting adequate protection rather then you.
When you take out the policy you should be sure that it offers enough medical cover for you personally and also that it covers such areas as underinsured driver cover and uninsured driver cover.
These are important to add onto a policy because there are a significant minority of drivers who continue to drive without any insurance (or not enough) and so it is essential that you take steps to protect yourself.
If you are involved in an accident with one of those drivers then you could find yourself with a sticky problem, and so you need to make sure that your own insurance is well-equipped to handle the situation and pay out.
Also, be aware that basic liability cover does not cover you for damage to your bike that was not caused in an accident. It also does not cover you if you bike was stolen (a big deal in cities like Detroit where thefts of motor vehicles of all types is amongst one of the most common crimes), or vandalism, or such unforeseen circumstances as fires or floods.
(You can stay up to date on the legal aspects and regulatory considerations behind Michigan Motorcycle Insurance if you take a look at the Michigan Department of Insurance’s website.)
Depending on your neighbourhood and how much you can afford to pay out for your cover you may decide whether full coverage, comprehensive Michigan Motorcycle Insurance is for you or not. But regardless of your inclinations, it is well worth checking, because you may find that it costs less than you think.