Question 1

Who pays if I cause damage with a borrowed vehicle?

Accepted Answer

Whether you borrow the car from friends, your parents or a car-sharing platform, in the event of property damage and personal injury suffered by third parties in an accident, the motor third party liability insurance of the vehicle owner will pay.
This means that if, for example, you borrow your girlfriend's car and cause an accident in which another vehicle is also damaged, your girlfriend is liable for the damage caused. Your girlfriend's compulsory motor third party liability insurance covers the property damage to the other vehicle.
The situation is different for damage to the borrowed vehicle itself. This will be covered by your girlfriend's comprehensive insurance, if such an insurance has been taken out. Otherwise, your girlfriend will hold you responsible for the damage and you will have to pay for the entire damage. 
If you have third-party driver's insurance, it will cover your girlfriend's deductible as well as bonus losses on the vehicle's comprehensive insurance. If the borrowed vehicle only had single vehicle accidental damage insurance, then the supplementary insurance would cover all of the repair costs.
You can include third-party driver's insurance as a supplement to your personal liability insurance. To do so, select the "Driving motor vehicle owned by a third party" supplement. However, the third-party driver's insurance does not apply in the following cases:

If you use a car for more than 25 days a year
    If you borrow vehicles from people in the same household
    In the case of rented vehicles
    In the case of vehicles from car-sharing companies

Question 2

What is third-party driver's insurance and when is it worthwhile?

Accepted Answer

You can include third-party driver's insurance as a supplement to your personal liability insurance. To do so, select the "Driving motor vehicle owned by a third party" supplement. This is is suitable for people who occasionally borrow vehicles.
In the event of a claim, the third-party driver's insurance covers a large part of the costs. The level of cover varies depending on whether the borrowed vehicle is covered by comprehensive insurance or single vehicle accidental damage insurance.
Car with comprehensive insurance
The third-party driver's insurance covers the following costs:

Deductible of the vehicle owner
    Bonus losses in the comprehensive insurance of the vehicle owner

Car with single vehicle accidental damage insurance
The third-party driver's insurance covers the costs of repairing the borrowed car. 
However, the third-party driver's insurance does not apply in the following cases:

If you use a car for more than 25 days a year
    If you borrow vehicles from people in the same household
    In the case of rented vehicles
    In the case of vehicles from car-sharing companies

Read more in our blog post "third-party driver's insurance: Everything you need to know"

Question 3

I use car sharing and rental cars. Do I need additional insurance in this case?

Accepted Answer

If you use a rental car or car-sharing vehicle, then the insurance benefits are usually included in the rental price. This usually includes comprehensive insurance and liability insurance for motor vehicles.
However, deductibles are often high for rental cars or car-sharing vehicles. If you cause an accident with the rented vehicle, you will have to pay for part of the damage yourself. Depending on the provider, this can quickly amount to several thousand francs. With our insurance for rental and sharing vehicles, we will cover you in the event of a claim: We cover the deductible, contractually owed vehicle repairs, as well as breakdown and towing costs for rental and sharing vehicles from commercial providers.
Good to know: You can also save money with insurance for rental and sharing vehicles. Because it is often cheaper than the offers of the rental vehicle companies, with which you can lower your deductible.

Question 4

Do I need to take out insurance for my e-bike?

Accepted Answer

It depends on whether your e-bike is a "fast" e-bike or a "slow" e-bike.
If your pedal-assisted e-bike is capable of speeds of up to a maximum of 25 km/h, it is considered a "slow e-bike". In this case, your e-bike is considered an ordinary bicycle and you do not need to buy a number plate. However, it is worthwhile for cyclists to take out personal liability insurance. This covers personal injury and property damage that you cause to third parties with your bike. However, damage to the e-bike itself is not insured. For this purpose, Zurich offers all-round bicycle insurance - a kind of comprehensive insurance for your bike.
If your pedal-assisted e-bike is capable of speeds of up to a maximum of 45 km/h, it is considered a "fast" e-bike. In this case, a yellow license plate and liability insurance are obligatory. In addition, a category M driving license is compulsory. When riding your e-bike, you must wear a helmet.

Alternatives to owning a car

Good to know

Direct right to claim for damage caused by cars

Insurance for occasional driving

Fast and slow e-bikes

Frequently asked questions about alternative forms of mobility

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Contents Insurance

Insurance for rental cars and carsharing

Bicycle insurance

Private liability insurance

Alternative mobility guide