Can I Get Insurance with an International License?
Things to get used to while driving in the U.S
Moving to a new country can be daunting. Many people who move to a new country face a lot of challenges and Insurance can be one of them. Depending on where you are moving from just driving in America can be challenging. Imagine if you are used to driving on the Left side of the road which over half of the world consider the Right side of the road and you’ve just moved to America where people drive on the right. Just getting used to basic things like the steering wheel placement can be difficult and take some time getting used to driving in the United States for the first Time can be disorienting depending on where you are coming from. In the United Kingdom for example U-Turns are illegal so a British person moving to the U.S will have a hard time in circumstances where they are expected to make a U-Turn. In some countries you cannot make a right on a red light in any circumstances where as in the United States unless there Is a sign that says you cannot make a right on a red light it is assumed that you can. A major difference in the flow of traffic from the United States to the United Kingdom is that is most cases when you are turning left in the United States there are two or more lanes that you can utilize when turning left make sure you stay in the lane you started the turn in. Some major differences are also in the U.K even if your handheld device is taped to the windshield or the dash it is illegal to tap or touch your device however the rules about handheld devices change from state to state. In some European countries if you are in the backseat seatbelts are optional where as in New Hampshire seatbelts are not required at all but in every other United States state you are required to where a seatbelt.
Terminology to get Used to
Petrol= Gas
Hire Car=Rental Car
Sat Nav=Navigation
Boot=Trunk
Wings=Fenders
What are some of the challenges with getting Car Insurance
1. Finding an insurance carrier– If you have an international license a challenge can be finding an Insurance carrier that will underwrite your policy. Not all insurance carriers work with International drivers. Carriers such as Safeco or Liberty Mutual, National General or Allstate, Progressive will Insure a driver with a foreign license.
2.What side of the road did you drive on in your native country-. Some insurance carriers will gave more favorable rates to drivers who drove on the Right side of the road in their native country because they assume that the length of difficulty will not be as great when acclimating to United States.
3.Motor Vehicle reports- Some carriers will surcharge a higher premium to any driver that the carrier cannot source a 24 month driving history for of course if you are just moving here from another country you will fall into this category. We would suggest not worrying because as time passes and you have more experience under your belt the surcharge will go away.
