BY SOLO INSURANCE®

What is Jump Starting a Car?

Basically, jump starting a car starts its dead battery by getting power from another car’s working battery. Drivers often consider it a courtesy to other drivers. But these days, advances in car electronics mean a lot more can go wrong. If it does, remember that car insurance is not responsible for covering the resulting damage. So be wise, especially considering the availability of roadside assistance programs.  This is not a “how to” for jump-starting a car but things to consider if you decide to jump start a car.

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What Can Go Wrong When Jump Starting Someone’s Car?

Jump starting is simple until it isn’t. Considering how complex electrical systems are in cars these days, a lot rides on that battery. Misplaced wires or mismatched batteries can cause an electrical system overload. Other possibilities include battery damage or overheating in one or both cars. The electrical system in today’s car runs most everything. Systems include brakes, entertainment, steering, and even airbags.

The potential for costly damage goes far beyond that of a battery replacement.

What About Auto Insurance on a Jump Start Gone Wrong?

If something goes wrong in a jump start, don’t look to your car insurance policy to cover the damage. Why? It comes down to policy exclusions. Most car insurance policies exclude:

• Electrical and/or Mechanical breakdowns: Insurance doesn’t cover breakdowns. This type of coverage is more like a warranty than traditional car insurance.
• Liability: Liability coverage is for accidents. Jump starts are not accidents. Therefore, no use arguing that your auto insurance policy (or the other person’s policy) should cover damage while jump starting.

What Can You Do Instead Of Jump Starting?

Your best bet is to turn to the pros. Emergency roadside services offer jump starts with professional equipment and the business insurance to cover their risk. Today, drivers may have the tools to restart their battery like portable jump start kit. These kits typically include a separate battery and jumper cables to use in place of another car’s battery.

Remember, if a battery keeps dying, jump-starting is only a temporary fix. Repeated failures often signal deeper issues like a bad battery, failing alternator or wiring problem. In these cases, professional assistance is the safest choice.

The Bottom Line

Jump-starting a car can be neighborly and helpful, but only when done correctly. When in doubt, either tow the vehicle or use a roadside assistance plan. While roadside is often available as part of your auto insurance policy, please note, using car insurance means making a claim. Consider a true, separate, roadside assist plan to keep you safe on the road. Certainly, to help someone is good, to help them wisely is even better.

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Don’t own a car but need an SR22?  Quote here.

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