Wyoming is the least populated state in the United States with only 563,626 people in 2010, despite being the tenth largest in size terms. And most of the state is covered with forest, mountains and prairie lands rather than cities. In fact the largest city in Wyoming, Cheyenne has only got 59,466 people which is smaller than ALL of the top 100 most populated cities in California (Napa is in 100th place with 76,915 people).
Nevertheless, because of its wild, open spaces Wyoming is a great state to own and ride a motorcycle, but if you are going to do so you need to make sure to first get some Wyoming Motorcycle Insurance to make sure that you are properly covered for accidents and mishaps.
In this article I will be looking at the states minimum requirements for motorcycle insurance in Wyoming and discussing all the different factors that you need to be aware of to make sure that you get a great policy.
What are the minimum legal requirements for Wyoming Motorcycle Insurance?
The state of Wyoming insists that you at least have minimum amounts of liability cover and property damage cover before you ride your motorcycle.
These are as follows:
$25,000 – Bodily injury liability cover for one person
$50,000 – Bodily injury liability cover for one accident
$20,000 – Property Damage liability cover
This is more commonly abbreviated to 25/50/20 cover.
Are the Wyoming Motorcycle Insurance minimum requirements adequate?
The 25/50/20 cover that is mandated as the minimum requirements are roughly about average if you look at all of the different states (25/50/25 is the most common state minimum for Motorcycle Insurance among the different states), and so from that perspective it could appear that this is enough cover.
However, in reality it is still designed to be a minimum requirement and so before settling for this level you should probably consider getting higher levels of cover. For starters, $25,000 worth of liability cover may sound like a lot, but when you factor in medical expenses, loss of income and other factors then it can very quickly get eaten away.
Secondly, the bodily injury liability minimum for an entire accident is only twice as much, so essentially on that basis if more than two people were injured in an accident then you could find yourself in problems, so you should think about increasing this level.
Thirdly, the property damage liability limit is also rather low if you consider how much it would cost to replace a car that was a write-off as a result of an accident you caused. So you should also give strong consideration to increasing that as well when you purchase Wyoming Motorcycle Insurance cover.
What are some other types of cover that you can get?
If you are looking to get really good motorcycle insurance that really properly protects you in the event of an accident, then you are going to want to look beyond the basic minimums and start considering what other types of cover you can add to your policy.
Here are some other types of cover that you could consider adding to your Wyoming Motorcycle Insurance policy:
Comprehensive, Full Coverage Wyoming Motorcycle Insurance – A full coverage policy would also add in other factors protections such as cover against your bike being stolen, damaged in storms or fires, or being vandalised.
This is probably less relevant if you are insuring an old or inexpensive motorcycle, because the cost of the premiums may end up exceeding the cost of the motorcycle! But if you do have a performance motorcycle that has cost you considerable sums to buy, then it is something that you could look into.
At the very least there is no harm in simply getting some different Wyoming Motorcycle Insurance Quotes and comparing the cost of policies both with and without the comprehensive portion of the policy. If it makes economic sense to pay the extra premium for the cover then buy it, otherwise you can make a calculated decision to go without, and have a cheaper premium.
But do be aware that you are then not protected for theft, vandalism, storm damage etc. And so you should prepare yourself mentally to have to pay to repair or replace your bike, if any of those types of mishaps does befall it, as a Wyoming insurance company will not be stepping in to play the white knight and pay the bill.
Uninsured Driver Cover – If the other driver in an accident did not have any insurance but was responsible, then you could be in all kinds of trouble if you haven’t got uninsured driver cover.
(You can also check in with the Wyoming Insurance Department's website about Wyoming Motorcycle Insurance for the finer legalities surrounding different types of cover.)
As the names suggests this means that in such a circumstance your own insurance company would step in to pay any of your own expenses, and hence you would not have to worry about whether the other driver had arranged insurance or not.
In reality then this is a bit like putting control back into your own hands, and is certainly something that you should seriously consider supplementing your policy with.
In conclusion, you do need to consider your motorcycle insurance needs carefully before rushing out to buy a policy in Wyoming. Get a range of Wyoming Motorcycle Insurance Quotes and read through the terms and conditions carefully before making your final decision, and remember that the more research you do now, and the more action you take now, the less you will have to worry in the event that you do have an accident and actually need the help of the insurance.
The 25/50/20 cover that is mandated as the minimum requirements are roughly about average if you look at all of the different states (25/50/25 is the most common state minimum for Motorcycle Insurance among the different states), and so from that perspective it could appear that this is enough cover.
