I'm renting a car (in Canada) for my movie – what do I need?

Some of the most common questions we get from clients are about vehicles:

• What coverage do I need? 
• Do I need to buy anything from the rental company?
• Can a 20-year-old production assistant (PA) drive the car(s)?

Well, here is what you need to know about renting vehicles when shooting a production in Canada. We will break it down into two sections to explain the basics.

1. Damage to a car you are renting or are contractually required to provide coverage for while being used on production: 

The production policies we provide include coverage if you damage a vehicle while contracted by production. With most insurers, it is called Commercial Vehicle Physical Damage (CVPD).  The coverage will have a limit per vehicle, so make sure that if you are renting expensive cars, your limit is high enough to cover any damage that can occur. You will also have to check the Aggregate, which is the most the policy will pay for any one occurrence (in case you damage multiple cars in one accident) and your deductible (the amount you need to pay for the damage before the insurance kicks in). Most policies will set the deductible as a percentage of the damage; for example, 10% with a minimum and maximum amount.

Your rental company will offer you a Collision or Loss Damage Waiver (CDW/ LDW) when renting a vehicle. Typically, these are about $20-$30 per vehicle/day. The CDW/LDW provides coverage for damage to the vehicle. There is no need to purchase this if you have our policies, which include the CVPD coverage. A bit of savings for your budget! However, if you are renting a couple of vehicles for a short period of time and you aren’t so sure about your crew’s driving skills, you may choose to get this coverage from the rental company because the deductible is usually a lower amount. 

NOTE: NOT ALL POLICIES PROVIDED BY OTHER BROKERS WILL INCLUDE THIS COVERAGE. YOU NEED TO CHECK YOUR POLICY TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED, OR CONTACT FRONT ROW AND WE CAN OBTAIN PROPER COVERAGE FOR YOU.

2. Auto liability covers damage to property or injury to other parties:

Auto liability is the portion of the policy which is regulated by the government and, to make it more complicated, it is individually regulated by each province/territory. Below is a basic breakdown by province.

Will I need to budget for an Auto Liability policy for my production?

The above-mentioned coverage outline is meant for informational purposes only and does not represent advice on coverages required. Contact us if you have a specific need or question.

Auto liability is not an option; it needs to be in place for every car driven on public roads. Make sure you have the right coverage for your location and situation so production doesn’t get a ticket, or worse, be held responsible for injury to someone or damage to property.

Hired an intern or co-op student and want them to run errands in your rental car? Is that allowed?

Well, for once it’s not us being the careful ones! You will need to contact your rental company as many will have an age restriction on drivers. Some will restrict it to 21 or 25 years old, so make sure whoever is driving is actually allowed to, as it can nullify your coverage if they aren’t.

Have more questions about auto coverage? Give any of our Front Row offices a call!

Refer a friend to Front Row Insurance

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Related:

• FILM PRODUCTION COMPANIES AND CAMERA CARS: REDUCING THE RISK
• FILM PRODUCTION INSURANCE AND RENTING CREW PERSONAL VEHICLES
• AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE FOR FILMS
• WHAT'S INCLUDED IN AN ENTERTAINMENT INSURANCE PACKAGE?