HOUSTON — Affordable car insurance can be hard to come by, but when you're building your coverage policy there are three add-ons that are well worth the extra dollars.
In the United States, about 1 in 8 drivers are uninsured, according to a recent study.
It's huge a risk, especially in a large city like Houston, where you never know what you might see. That's why getting the right insurance coverage is key.
Personal injury protection
When it comes to the best add-ons for car insurance this one is a must, according to WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez.
"No. 1 in terms of the best add-on for car insurance is a personal injury protection, or PIP," Gonzalez said. "And that covers medical expenses, surgical treatment, ambulance fees— all of these things that can really add up."
It's especially important for anyone who doesn't have their own full coverage health policy.
Uninsured motorist coverage
Gonzalez recommends getting uninsured motorist coverage, which protects drivers against many different problems. However, the biggest is hit-and-runs.
Houston has seen a lot of hit-and-runs, especially over the past year. That's one reason why uninsured motorist coverage is very important. Or if you live in a state with a large population of uninsured drivers, which essentially is any large state, especially Texas.
Recently, the Insurance Research Council found about 1 in 8 drivers are uninsured. That's from data collected in 2019, but the research findings were just released in 2021.
"That's another reason why you want this coverage," Gonzalez said. "You don't always know if the person who you're having an accident with has insurance."
Roadside assistance
Roadside assistance is another important add-on that many drivers are skipping on.
"I would say the biggest mistake that people make these days is simply not being insured. So we're talking about add-ons and what would be good to have additionally. But the biggest mistake you can have is to go uninsured," Gonzalez said.