With the “gig economy” in full swing for the last few years - and even more so after the Covid-19 pandemic - many people make their living as either full or part-time drivers. This could include ride-share drivers, food delivery drivers, or even those delivering Amazon packages in a personal car.
When it comes to any of these jobs, especially ride-share driving, it’s extremely important to make sure you have the right car insurance policy so you have coverage in case of an accident.
Here are several companies that are considered to be ride-share businesses:
- Lyft
- Uber
- Facedrive
- RideCo
- Uride
- NRT OnDemand
- Zoom Innovations Inc.
- Y Drive
- M Ride Inc.
In fact, many people may not realize that using their personal car for business use falls outside the scope of a auto insurance policy and therefore may not be covered in the event of an accident. Keep reading to learn more about ride-share driving and how making sure you have the proper add-ons as part of your car insurance quote can help ensure you’re fully protected.
Do personal policies cover ride-share driving?
In short, no.
With that being said, some insurers may have a solution or optional coverage that can help ensure that you and your passengers are covered in the event of an accident.
The reason ride-share driving is excluded from personal policies is that ride-sharing is considered outside the normal coverage of “personal use.” In other words, a personal auto insurance policy only covers day-to-day driving such as running errands, shopping, taking a trip, or commuting to and from work. It doesn’t provide coverage for transporting paying passengers.
What isn’t covered?
As mentioned above, any use that is outside of what would be considered “personal use” may not be covered, so it's important to let your insurance representative know how you plan on using your car. They’ll be able to review your policy with you and discuss other add-on coverages you may need.
If you are a ride-share driver or are considering becoming one, be sure to check with your insurance representative right away to examine what you’ll be using the car for and what coverage options are available to make sure that you and your passengers are fully covered.
Do you use your car for business? Find out more about personal car insurance and business use.