Vermont has the second smallest population of all of the states (Wyoming is smaller) at 630,337 people in 2010, and is unique in being the only state which does not have a single city with a population greater than 50,000 people (the biggest city is Burlington with 42,417 in the 2010 Census).
Despite those facts Vermont does have a well-established tourist industry, and so it is no surprise that motorcycling is a popular past-time, perhaps to travel to the 15% of all houses in Vermont which are classified for recreational use or to the ski slopes of Vermont which sees over four million visits every year.
In this article I will be looking at Vermont Motorcycle Insurance and everything you need to know both about the states minimum requirements for cover, and also the different factors that you should be additionally looking to get covered if you want to ride around this beautiful state.
What are the minimum requirements for Vermont Motorcycle Insurance?
The minimum requirements for motorcycle insurance in Vermont are those minimum requirements that the state’s department of insurance has laid down for you to legally drive.
In Vermont these are as follows:
$25,000 – Bodily Injury Liability for one person.
$50,000 – Bodily Injury Liability for one accident
$10,000 – Property Damage Liability Limit
This is more commonly referred to as 20/50/10 cover.
Are the Vermont Motorcycle Insurance minimums adequate?
You need to remember that these limits are designed to be minimum amounts in order that anyone who wants to ride a motorcycle on the roads of Vermont can do so with a minimum of fuss. In many ways this is totally different from the main goal of any type of insurance cover, and that is to maximise your levels of protection.
So bear that in mind when looking at the minimum amounts, and wondering if you can get away with just having those.
The honest answer is that you possibly could, because most motor accidents are not major incidents, and so if you simply bump into a cars bumper, or skid slowly into something, then unless you are unlucky and need hospital treatment, then even the basic levels of cover may be enough.
However, in all honesty that is a gamble, because these amounts of cover do not allow any scope for more serious accidents or for situations where you end up needing extensive hospital care.
Medical costs in the United States can potentially be huge, and Vermont is no exception.
It was estimated by one leading federation of Health Professionals that the average stay in hospital in 2010 cost $14,427; and so even without additional expenses for loss of earnings, or the other party in the accident potentially suing you, it is easy to see how costs can very quickly mount up.
And if of course property is damaged in an accident, then $10,000 is quite a low amount to expect it to cover all the costs. As after all, common sense should tell anyone what the cost of a car is these days, and so if a car gets written-off and needs replacing because of an accident, then that whole amount could get swallowed up instantly.
With all of that said Vermont has some of the least congested roads in the country (the 5th lowest), and also the tenth lowest highway fatality rate, so in many ways the picture is quite healthy.
The good news is that the Vermont Motorcycle Insurance Companies also have access to these same figures and so you will probably find that the rates for motorcycle insurance in Vermont are comparatively low in comparison to other states where road fatalities are higher.
With that in mind you may think it a good idea to get higher levels of cover, and at least be in keeping with a state like Maine, where the minimum requirements are 50/100/25 (remember they are 25/50/10 in Vermont).
Other Types of Cover to Consider
There are also at least two other types of cover that you should consider adding on to your policy.
Comprehensive Vermont Motorcycle Insurance – A fuller coverage policy would also cover you for theft of your motorcycle, vandalism or storm damage. This may seem less necessary in a state like Vermont where there are physically less people, and hence less likelihood of anyone stealing or vandalising your bike.
So you will have to make your own decision about this based on the price of the policy and the terms and conditions. But the fact is that over 80,000 motorcycles get stolen very year in the United States, and storms can easily damage motorcycles (and other property) in even the quietest, most law abiding state. So this may be cover that you want to consider adding to your policy.
Uninsured Driver/Underinsured Driver Cover – An estimated 15% of the drivers on the roads in the United States do not have any insurance, and so if you find yourself in an accident with one of these then you could well be in problems.
The way that uninsured driver cover works is that if you have just such an accident then your own insurance would step in to pay the bills. And similarly with underinsured driver cover it would make up any shortfall that would otherwise exist.
(You can learn more about the legal ramifications of these type of policies and Vermont Motorcycle Insurance specifics at the Vermont Insurance Departments website.)
In a sense this is like insurance against the stupidity of other drivers, and aims to level the playing field so that at no time when you are riding your motorcycle do you have to worry about if the other drivers have got insurance, because you will be covered anyway.
The best way to get going with all of these types of cover is to look around at some different Vermont Motorcycle Insurance Quotes and consider what packages of cover are available and for what price. You may well find that you can better cover then you thought, so it is well worth being a little choosy and comparing the offers carefully before deciding which to opt for.
The honest answer is that you possibly could, because most motor accidents are not major incidents, and so if you simply bump into a cars bumper, or skid slowly into something, then unless you are unlucky and need hospital treatment, then even the basic levels of cover may be enough.
