Motorcycles like all cars, require insurance. In many case, you’ll need to purchase a policy that adequately addresses your needs. That means taking care of not only the bike, but also those who ride on it. Often, motorcyclists take passengers along with them. However, if you choose to take a passenger, you need to make sure they are covered by your insurance. It’s often a bit different from how you would insure a car passenger. Here’s how you should do so.
Motorcycle passengers are very much at risk of injuries (or worse) in case they become involved in an accident. Therefore, you have to be ready to help them with their medical costs, should they need it. Carry appropriate coverage on your motorcycle insurance.
Injury Risks on Motorcycles
When you invite a guest onto your bike—a spouse, friend or even your child—you are directly responsible for their safety. If you have a wreck, they might get hurt, and it’s your insurance that might help them in their recovery.
There were more than 5,000 fatalities in motorcycle-involved crashes in 2016, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. The reason passengers are often at risk of serious injuries when accidents occur is because they are not protected in the same way that they would be in a car. They also may not be an expert rider the way you are. Therefore, they might simply not have the same amount of security that you do in case of an accident.
Insurance for Passenger Injuries
You don’t want to see your passengers get hurt in a wreck. However, there’s no way you can prevent every accident. So, how can your insurance help you if the worst happen?
Most motorcycle insurance policies do include assistance to help you pay for injuries that you and your passengers sustain in wrecks.
- Guest passenger liability insurance might come as part of your bodily injury liability insurance, or you might have to buy it separately. If you cause a wreck, meaning you are at-fault for the passenger’s injuries, then this coverage might help you compensate them for their losses.
- Medical payments insurance is another form of coverage that pays for injuries. However, it pays for the injuries of both passengers and the rider themselves, regardless of whether the rider was at fault for the accident.
If the accident was not your fault, then your passenger might be able to file against the other driver’s liability insurance, since they were at fault for the damage.
Keep in mind, all policies vary in how they will pay for passenger injuries. Therefore, speak to your insurer at length about how you can insure passengers appropriately. Then, don’t hesitate to take all necessary precautions (like requiring helmet use), whenever you have a passenger with you.