February 23, 2024 | Eva Goldschald
(dpa/Christin Klose)Pendants are available in many different sizes and designs.
Hook up the trailer hitch and you’re ready to go. But many people forget that trailers have to be insured separately. Insurance for the towing vehicle only applies in some cases. We show you what you need to consider and which providers you can insure your trailer with.
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In principle, trailers are large or small vehicles that are coupled to the car via the trailer hitch, but are two separate vehicles – for example a small construction trailer or a larger vehicle such as a caravan. Many people now think that the trailer is automatically insured with the vehicle. That was the case until 2002. The insurance for the car or towing vehicle then automatically kicked in. However, there were often problems here because the towing vehicle could not always be identified. There are also accidents that only occur because of the trailer. For example, if the trailer’s brakes become loose and it rolls uncontrollably into a parked car, or if you accidentally cause damage while maneuvering the trailer. Since 2002, trailers have also had to comply with the Section 8 of the Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Act be insured yourself. So if you drive your own trailer, you have two insurance policies.
These types of followers exist
- Low loader and high loader
- Tipper trailer
- Vehicle transporters and motorcycle transporters
- Animal transporter
- Boat trailer
- Folding trailer
- Construction equipment transporter
- Suitcase tag
- Caravan
The following trailers are exempt from registration and therefore insurance requirements:
- Trailer for transporting sport horses
- Bootstrailer
- Trailers for forestry and agriculture that travel at a maximum speed of 25 km/h
- Special trailers for gliders, for example
Accident with a trailer: who is liable and when?
The law stipulates that both insurance companies pay equally for the accident. Normally, the vehicle’s liability insurance first covers the damage and can then recover half of the premium from the trailer insurance. It’s easiest if the trailer and vehicle are with the same insurance company. If they are different, there may only be delays. If only the trailer is involved in an accident, for example because it rolls away out of control, then only the trailer insurance is liable. By the way, in addition to liability, trailers can also be insured with partial or fully comprehensive insurance. The decisive factors are the age and financial value of the trailer. Comprehensive insurance coverage is more worthwhile for a high-quality caravan than for a small construction trailer that you occasionally use to transport wood or leaves.
How much insurance you need for your trailer depends on the following factors:
- Size, payload and permissible total weight
- Partial or fully comprehensive insurance
- Age and financial value of the trailer
- Body type: tipper, trailer with tarpaulin, closed or open box van
This is how much trailer load Tesla and Co. can manage.
If you find it difficult to decide to what extent the trailer should be insured, you can use the following as a guide:
- If the trailer is rarely used and sits around most of the time, or if it is old or of little value, liability insurance is sufficient.
- If it is used but in good condition, is used often, partial insurance is suitable. Comprehensive insurance is worthwhile for a new and/or expensive model.
You can find information about the differences between fully and partially comprehensive insurance here.
By the way, it can sometimes happen that insurers insist that the trailer and towing vehicle, if you own both, must be insured.
Insure trailers with HDI
Click here for the HDI tariff calculator
Insure trailers directly with DA
With DA Direkt you can only take out a trailer in combination with DA Direkt car insurance. At DA Direkt, how much your trailer insurance costs depends on the payload of the trailer and the scope of insurance you want. The more load your trailer can carry in addition to its own weight until the maximum permissible gross weight is reached, the more expensive the trailer insurance will be. DA Direkt differentiates between insurance for Trailers up to 1,000 kg and up to 3,000 kg. However, the type of trailer is irrelevant; the tariff remains the same.
Cheap trailer insurance costs 80 euros per year with DA Direkt. Provided you use the trailer privately and the car is also insured here.
In contrast to motor vehicle insurance, there is no classification into no-claims classes for trailers. This means that even if there are many accidents, the amount does not increase.
You can only take out insurance for your trailer by telephone.
Click here for trailer insurance from DA directly
Insure trailers with CosmosDirekt
CosmosDirekt offers motor vehicle liability, partially comprehensive and fully comprehensive insurance for trailers.
The costs for a trailer depend on the purchase price, the initial registration and the type of body. In general, it costs much less to insure a trailer than a car or other motor vehicle. Pure liability insurance for a trailer costs between 12 and 50 euros per year with CosmosDirekt. Partial insurance starts at an annual premium of 75 euros, fully comprehensive insurance at 100 euros. We have found no evidence that the insurance only works in combination with car insurance. So you can only insure the trailer there.
Click here for trailer insurance
Conclusion
Insuring a trailer is mandatory. If both vehicles are coupled together in road traffic, in the event of an accident, the towing vehicle’s insurance will take effect first and then half of the damage amount will be reimbursed by the trailer insurance. If the trailer alone causes damage, only the trailer insurance will apply. You can choose a different provider for insurance or the same one you chose for your car or towing vehicle. Some insurers only accept trailers if you also insure the car there, especially DA Direkt. Ask your insurer about combination discounts.
2024-02-23 07:31:42
#Insuring #trailers #drivers #absolutely
