Rental car insurance

[scubawife]

Last time I rented for the entire week as I was in Akumal. Made many trips up and down the costal highway there and saw a lot of crazy stuff.

James

My husband puts in about 80 hrs a month as an EMT. He's had several calls to accident scenes where they were sure that nobody would be getting out alive, but, thank God for airbags. He's also got a crash bag in the car and has stopped as first on scene at a few highway accidents on road-trips. I am very proud of him and many days I don't know how he does it.

We have seen some very tragic stuff in Mexico that could be easily avoided with better safety laws and PSA campaigns. It always scares the hell out me driving down 307 seeing kids in the back of pick-ups or the family of 10 in car held together with duct tape.

 

[Cacia]

Yes, I usually like this forum too and learn a lot.

But...in order to do that you must engage.

And what Christy reads as combative could be my practice to question what someone

says. As I said, maybe re-reading the posts would help.

aloha

Give me a break Catherine

Not sure what that would look like to you.

 

[Christi]

Yes, I usually like this forum too and learn a lot.

But...in order to do that you must engage.

And what Christy reads as combative could be my practice to question what someone

says. As I said, maybe re-reading the posts would help.

aloha

Not sure what that would look like to you.

Look, I'm always up for a good healthy debate/discussion...but when you mistake fact for opinion and continue to question the facts, then there's really nothing to discuss and I don't feel like playing anymore...particularly when you start throwing catty remarks out.

If you feel like I was attacking you, or anything else...I'm sorry...but I was just answering the questions and providing the facts so that people can make their own decisions.

Good night.

 

[Texas Diver]

It's not an opinion, it's fact...but I guess you know better how the rental car agencies and the laws work here and how much an accident will cost someone.

This IS NOT the United States and the same laws do not apply.

$20 x 5 is $100...I can absolutely guarantee you that it would cost you more than $100 to get off this island if you were involved in an accident. If there were personal injuries involved, you would actually sit in jail until the victim (or their family) decided how much money they wanted out of you. That is the brutal truth.

$20 a day will save you all that hassle.

BTW...what motive would I have for encouraging people to take the insurance other than to save them ALOT of grief on their vacation.

But hey, what do I know...

I agree with you 100% Christi. So much so that I would go a step further and never rent a car in Cozumel or anywhere else in Mexico. I would walk or take a taxi or ride a bus or stay home. I think a person is just asking for huge problems by doing something like renting a car in a third world country. But I am sure there are others who will say I am being overly cautious or even stupid, but hey, when in doubt on something like this I am always going to error on the side of safety. How can I even be sure the cars are being maintained prorperly! This is Mexico, the land of manana. Just read Sharky60's story of the wreck he got into last year. I think it cost him over a thousand to get out of jail, but I could be wrong.

 

[Christi]

I agree with you 100% Christi. So much so that I would go a step further and never rent a car in Cozumel or anywhere else in Mexico. I would walk or take a taxi or ride a bus or stay home. I think a person is just asking for huge problems by doing something like renting a car in a thrid world country. But I am sure there are others who will say I am being overly cautious or even stupid, but hey, when in doubt on something like this I am always going to error on the side of safety. How can I even be sure the cars are being maintained prorperly! This is Mexico, the land of manana. Just read Sharky60's story of the wreck he got into last year. I think it cost him over a thousand to get out of jail, but I could be wrong.

Yep, Mark's story was another example I had in my mind...and worse that he's such an incredibly nice guy! I just didn't feel my place to use him as an example

 

[Nevis Diver]

I am going to stay closer to town next time so I don't feel like I want to rent a car or scooter. However, I occasionally like to go around the island and stop at the windward side spots. Would one just use a taxi or are there sources to negotiate a daily (nightly) rate for a driver and car?

 

[5615mike]

If this is true, I will pass on the car. Taxis are very cheap there. So why do people rent cars in that climate BTW?

Are the Mexican jails full of Mexicans who have had accidents and cannot pay the "damages"?

If the system is so corrupt, are you insured by paying the insurance?

Which is exactly why I dont ever rent a car in a foreign country without knowing ALL THE LAWS. MX is different. Not saying corrupt, just different. United States Insurance Companies do not offer coverage in MX automatically.........I know, I am a Commercial Insurance Broker. Some, SOME, offer extensions of coverage but not all. Those extensions are all different, they are not identical. Not all offer the same limits, not all cover physical damage.....etc., etc..

All the headaches that could follow, like the ones from reading all these posts..........lol...........its much easier to just take a taxi and never give it a second thought. The first time I was in Coz I rented a jeep. Personally, it was more of a hassle finding a place to park than it was worth. Taxis are easy to find and not that expensive. Add up all the costs for just the insurance for each day your renting and it will probably pay for your taxis.

Just a thought.........

 

[Divingnthedark]

I generally spend so much time under and around the water, when I'm in Cozumel, that I just get a taxi to town, walk or have a local friend give me a ride around the island. I don't want to have to worry about rental cars or insurance. For anyone who has been there I think you already know what the driving conditions are like and the risks. I have not gotten a ticket in the past 17 years and consider myself a very safe driver, but that said, I don't want to risk my safety, someone elses safety or my happy Coz vacation memories by renting a car. I also think it would be suicidal to rent a scooter on Cozumel. Just my opinion YMMV

 

[pablovi]

I agree with you 100% Christi. So much so that I would go a step further and never rent a car in Cozumel or anywhere else in Mexico. I would walk or take a taxi or ride a bus or stay home. I think a person is just asking for huge problems by doing something like renting a car in a third world country. But I am sure there are others who will say I am being overly cautious or even stupid, but hey, when in doubt on something like this I am always going to error on the side of safety. How can I even be sure the cars are being maintained prorperly! This is Mexico, the land of manana. Just read Sharky60's story of the wreck he got into last year. I think it cost him over a thousand to get out of jail, but I could be wrong.

If you know the laws and respect them, you'll have no problems unless you have an accident and if you paid full coverage you have nothing to worry about, if you didn't you'll have to pay for the damage like in any other country. Even your own "civilized" one. Driving a car in that part of Mexico is the easiest thing in the world.

I go to Banff almost every winter, and I stay a couple of nights in Calgary and then rent a car and drive to Banff. That's a lot more dangerous than driving in that part of Mexico, you have ice and snow on the ground, the people drive as fast as in Mexico and you have wild animals(Elks, Rams, etc..) crossing the road.

 

[DandyDon]

Damn! :11: I'm outa popcorn...!!!

I never take rental car insurance in the US; but

I would always take it outside of the US.

Don't rent the car without it.