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NEW YORK, May 22, 2009 — Memorial Day weekend is the official start of the summer travel season and there are likely to be long lines at car rental counters. Unfortunately, many consumers don’t even think about car rental insurance until they get to the counter, which can result in costly mistakes, according to the ̽����ѡ Information Institute (I.I.I.).

To help consumers understand rental car insurance, the I.I.I. has created a podcast that outlines the coverages offered in most policies. The goal of the podcast is to help consumers make smart choices and save money when they rent a car.

The podcast is available on and the I.I.I. Web site at Podcast: Rental Car ̽����ѡ. It can be downloaded onto a PDA or laptop so that consumers can refer to it as often as necessary, including right at the rental car counter.

“Whether or not to buy rental car insurance or any other insurance product should not be a snap decision,” said Jeanne M. Salvatore, senior vice president and consumer spokesperson for the I.I.I. “Faced with a number of choices, some renters either purchase all of the coverage or they decline the insurance without knowing if they are covered by other policies. This can result in either wasting money by purchasing unnecessary coverage or having gaps in coverage, making the driver dangerously uninsured.”

Many car rental companies now impose various fees after an accident that you may not be aware of and will be held responsible for. These fees can include: towing, storage, impound fees, loss of use, diminished value and administrative services. “Administrative and diminished value fees vary widely, costing anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars if you are involved in an auto accident,” noted Salvatore.

Before renting a car, the I.I.I. suggests that you make two phone calls—one to your insurance agent or company representative and another to the credit card company you will be using to pay for the rental car.

Rental Car ̽����ѡ offers four important coverages:

1. Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), also referred to as collision damage waivers and is not technically an insurance product—it relieves or “waives” renters of financial responsibility if a rental car is damaged or stolen. In most cases, waivers also provide coverage for “loss of use,” in the event the rental car company charges the renter for the time a damaged car cannot be used because it is being repaired. It may also cover towing and administrative fees. Loss damage waivers cost between $9 and $19 a day.��
2. Liability Protection provides financial protection from lawsuits in the event you are sued following an accident involving a rental car. By law, rental companies must provide the state required amount of liability insurance. Generally, these amounts are low and do not provide much protection. If you have adequate amounts of liability protection on your own car, you may consider forgoing additional liability protection. If you decide you want the supplemental insurance, it will cost between $7 and $14 a day.��
3. Personal Accident ̽����ѡ will cover you and your passengers for medical and ambulance bills incurred by injuries in a car crash. If you have adequate health insurance or are covered by personal injury protection under your own car insurance, you may not need this additional insurance. It usually costs about $1 to $5 a day.��
4. Personal Effects Coverage provides insurance protection for the theft of items in your car. If you have a homeowners or renters insurance policy that includes off-premises theft coverage, you are generally covered for theft of your belongings away from home, minus the deductible. Personal Effects Coverage generally costs between $1 and $4 a day.

To view or download the podcast, go to and type “̽����ѡ Information Institute” into the search field, or go to Podcast: Rental Car ̽����ѡ on the .��

For additional information, go to the I.I.I.’s section on Car Rental ̽����ѡ.

For a related video, go to Rental Car ̽����ѡ. Reporters who would like a DVC Pro or Beta hard copy contact Susan Stolov at 202-638-3400 or SusanStolov@WashingtonindependentProductions.com.

The I.I.I. is a nonprofit, communications organization supported by the insurance industry.