Motorcycles can be a highly efficient way to get from one place to another as well as a great way to experience firsthand much of the beauty of Wisconsin. These are just a couple of reasons why more people in Wisconsin are adding a motorcycle provision to their licenses. But motorcycles can be dangerous too. In 2012, over a half million Wisconsin residents held a motorcycle license – an increase of 23% from the previous year. A lot more people got hurt or killed as well. Fatal motorcycle accidents rose 40% between 2011-2012 with 112 fatalities. Motorcycle injuries totaled 2,398 that year- which was up by more than 14% and nearly 200 people. This is just the beginning of the statistics kept by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. While the damage to human beings is obviously the biggest concern, there’s also plenty of damage done to the motorcycles themselves, both of these realities make it a good idea to carry a good motorcycle insurance policy.
Wisconsin Motorcycle Insurance Requirements
In Wisconsin, the question isn’t whether or not you should get motorcycle insurance. It is how much insurance to buy. Although there are a couple alternatives to motorcycle insurance in the state, they are not very attractive to most people. WisDOT requires proof that motorcycle drivers can take responsibility for an accident. To do this, drivers can post a bond issued by an insurance company or pay a $60,000 cash deposit to WisDOT, or they can carry liability insurance policies that will cover various damages to property as well as bodily injuries. This must include
- $10,000 worth of damage to property that occurs in a single accident
- $25,000 worth of bodily injuries and/or death to one person in a single accident
- $50,000 worth of bodily injuries or deaths to more than one person in a single accident
Getting Better Coverage
Just like with auto insurance, liability motorcycle insurance offers the bare minimum coverage in the case of an accident, and it is designed to protect other people on the road, not the motorcyclist. In most cases, it is best to try and do a little better.
Most of the time riders will do this by purchasing other coverage including
- Comprehensive coverage that will cover damage to your bike that occurred for reasons such as severe weather, fire, vandalism, or hitting an animal.
- Collision coverage takes care of damages to a motorcycle in an accident up to the total value of the motorcycle minus the deductible.
- Bodily injury coverage gives extra coverage for injuries to others besides the driver, including passengers, but not the actual driver.
- Medical payments coverage is what is used to cover the costs of a driver’s injuries.
- Uninsured Motorist coverage is also popular, because even though drivers are supposed to be insured, there are supposed to be insured it doesn’t mean they always are.
Deciding What to Buy
Some insurance providers may offer other related coverage as well. In order to decide what coverage is best for you it is important to look at your driving habits. Someone who drives a low-cost motorcycle occasionally may not want as much coverage as someone who uses their motorcycle as their primary form of transportation. In many cases, insurance providers offer discounts based on driving record, academic performance, or driving frequency. For many, these factors are considered in their decision as well.
Since there are so many scenarios involved in how and why motorcycles are driven and ways to insure for whatever might go wrong, talking to an expert about all the options is wise. At Frydach Insurance, we work with a wide range of insurance providers with many different levels of coverage and can discuss your biggest concerns and priorities in order to help you find the right motorcycle insurance policy for you. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you.
