April Showers and Car Insurance: Tips for Navigating Rainy Weather

April showers car insurance helps protect you in the event of an accident and other damages that can occur during spring rainstorms. Practice safe driving habits and ensure you have sufficient car insurance coverage when driving in hazardous conditions, such as wet pavement and reduced visibility.

April showers car insurance refers to auto insurance coverage that protects drivers from accidents and vehicle damage caused by rainy conditions.

Read on to learn more about April showers and auto insurance, including what coverage types can protect you if you get into a weather-related accident.

On This Page

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  What Do April Showers Mean for Drivers?

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  Does Car Insurance Cover Rain Damage?

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  What Types of Rain Damage Are Covered?

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  What Is Not Covered by Car Insurance During April Rain Showers?

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  Hydroplaning Accidents in April: How Insurance Handles It

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  How To File a Car Insurance Claim After Rain Damage

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  How To Lower Your Risk During April Showers

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  April Showers Car Insurance at a Glance 

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  Do You Need Extra Coverage for Spring Weather? 

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  FAQs

What Do April Showers Mean for Drivers?

April showers typically mean more difficult road conditions for drivers, with April featuring more frequent rainstorms than in other months.^[1] Accidents caused by rainfall kill nearly 3,400 people and injure over 357,300 each year.^[2] Additionally, regular rainfall can damage roads when temperatures are still cold, and the freeze-thaw cycle can lead to potholes that could damage your vehicle.^[3]

Drivers should take note of several issues brought on by wet roads and regular precipitation during April, including:^[4]

• Reduced traction on the road
• Poor visibility in rain and fog
• Longer than expected stopping distances
• Hydroplaning
• Water damage to your vehicle from rain
• There may be more potholes than normal due to heavy rainfall

Does Car Insurance Cover Rain Damage?

Car insurance can cover rain damage depending on your coverage type and how the damage occurs. For example, standard car insurance will typically cover damages you cause if your car skids into another vehicle or someone’s property while driving on a rain-slicked road. However, rain damage to your personal vehicle or injuries you incur from a rain-induced accident may require optional coverages.

Below is a quick breakdown of a few types of car insurance that can protect you from rain damage:

What Types of Rain Damage Are Covered?

The type of damage caused by rain can vary and may require separate insurance coverage based on the type of damage or injury. Below is a breakdown of the types of car insurance and the rain damage scenarios they’ll typically cover:

• Liability: You hydroplane into another vehicle, damaging it and injuring its driver.
• Collision: Your car hydroplanes into a telephone pole and is severely damaged.
• Comprehensive: Flooding from a rainstorm damages your car’s engine.
• Medpay: You get injured after hydroplaning into another vehicle.
• PIP: You need lost wages reimbursed while recovering from an injury you got in an accident caused by a rainstorm.

What Is Not Covered by Car Insurance During April Rain Showers?

Certain types of April rain shower claims won’t typically be covered by car insurance, including damage caused by neglect. For example, while physical damage caused by a sudden heavy rainstorm may be covered by comprehensive insurance, damage to your upholstery caused by a slow drip of water from a cracked window typically won’t be covered.^[5]

Not all forms of car insurance are included in the same policy, and certain types of damage may require optional coverages. For example, while liability coverage is required in most states and included in minimum coverage, collision and comprehensive coverages are typically optional and require an additional premium.^[6] Without purchasing these added coverages, you likely won’t be protected from physical damage to your vehicle as a result of an April rainstorm.

Hydroplaning Accidents in April: How Insurance Handles It

Hydroplaning accidents are typically covered by car insurance. However, since there is no car insurance specific to hydroplaning accidents, certain types of damage or injuries caused by hydroplaning may require separate forms of coverage. For example:

• Collision coverage: Covers you if your car is damaged after hydroplaning.
• Liability coverage: Covers you if you’re at fault for a hydroplaning accident that injures another person or damages their property.
• Medpay: Covers injuries you sustain after a hydroplaning accident.
• PIP: Covers injuries and lost wages after a hydroplaning accident.

How To File a Car Insurance Claim After Rain Damage

Below are the steps you should follow to make a claim after you’ve experienced rain damage:

1. Contact the police if you’re in an accident with another vehicle or pedestrian, even if the damage seems minor.
2. Exchange information with other drivers in an accident, including name, address, phone number and insurance information.
3. Take photos of the damage to your car and anything your car collided with to support your claim.
4. Contact your insurance provider and submit a claim through its website, app or by phone.
5. Double-check your insurance coverage limits and deductibles to understand your out-of-pocket costs.
6. Take your car to a repair shop and get a quote for the cost of the damage, provided you have physical damage coverage.
7. Accept the reimbursement amount from your insurer to help cover repairs, if you’re covered for them.

Keep in mind that making a car insurance claim can result in your premiums increasing, so it may not always be worth making a claim if the damage costs are close to your deductible amount.

How To Lower Your Risk During April Showers

Consider following these tips to keep your family safe by reducing your risk of getting into a car crash while driving in stormy weather:^[7]

• Check your vehicle before you hit the road: Make sure it's in good condition before you drive through the rain, including your windshield wipers, headlights and tire pressure.
• Don’t use cruise control: You need to have as much control of your vehicle as possible when driving in the rain, which means you may want to forego the convenience of cruise control. If other cars start to slow down in front of you or your car begins to lose traction, you need to be able to slow down steadily, which isn’t possible when the cruise control feature is turned on.
• Reduce your speed: You should generally drive more slowly in the rain than you normally would and leave more distance between your car and other vehicles.
• Be ready to react if you start hydroplaning: Rainwater can get between your tires and the road, causing your vehicle to skid. If you feel your car start to hydroplane, avoid panic braking. Instead, ease off the gas pedal, lightly pump your brakes if necessary and steer your car in the direction you need to go until you are fully in control of the vehicle again.

April Showers Car Insurance at a Glance 

Below is a quick breakdown of everything you need to know about car insurance for April showers:

• Liability car insurance will cover you if you hydroplane into another vehicle or a pedestrian.
• Comprehensive insurance can cover you if rainwater floods your car and damages your engine or the inside of your car’s upholstery.
• Collision insurance can cover you for physical damage to your vehicle after it hydroplanes into a tree.
• Medical payments or Personal Injury Protection insurance can cover your medical bills if you’re injured after a car accident in an April rainstorm.
• Check your vehicle before you start driving in April showers, ensuring your lights, wipers and tires are functioning properly.
• Drive slower than you’d normally drive when the roads are slick and don’t slam on the brakes to avoid hydroplaning.

Do You Need Extra Coverage for Spring Weather? 

You may need extra coverage for spring weather if you want protection against rain-related damage and high-cost accidents. For example, if you don’t already have physical damage coverage, purchasing a full-coverage policy that includes comprehensive and collision coverage could protect you if your car is damaged by April showers. Discuss whether you can add additional coverage with your insurance company.

It may be worth considering an umbrella insurance policy through your insurer to help protect your financial future if you're involved in a costly accident caused by heavy rain. An umbrella policy can provide a financial safety net by offering additional coverage if the cost of a claim exceeds your liability coverage limits.

Shopping around with other insurance companies may help you if you need to add an insurance policy or increase your limits. Try to get quotes from three to five insurance companies. You’ll typically need to get quotes individually, but using an insurance agency like SmartFinancial can help speed up the process. Answer a brief questionnaire and get free auto insurance quotes today!