If you are traveling for business or pleasure and are not driving your own car, you will probably need to use a ridesharing app., take a taxi/cab, or rent a car and drive yourself. If you will only need transportation to and from the airport and a few short rides during your stay, you may decide the convenience and cost-effectiveness of ridesharing apps. are the best option. But if you plan to travel longer distances from your original destination, it may be more convenient and cost-effective to rent a car.

If you rent a car, you will be required to sign a rental agreement—which is a legal contract that includes some important terms and decisions for you to make related to your use of the car and your responsibility for any damage to it. One of the most important decisions is whether to purchase the insurance offered by the car rental agency, or to rely on coverage from the insurance policy you may have on your own car.

The insurance offered by the car rental agency is usually called collision damage waiver (CDW) or loss damage waiver (LDW)—and it is not really insurance—it is the car rental agency’s waiver of any claims against you if the car is damaged. This will generally mean the car rental agency is not able to seek recovery of damages from you (or your personal auto insurer) if the rental car is damaged. But as with all forms of insurance or waiver of rights, this waiver of your responsibility is subject to the language of the CDW/LDW insurance policy and the specific circumstances of any accident or damage.

In Washington State, when you rent a car, you are entering into a legal contract through the rental agreement. This agreement outlines your obligations and the terms of use for the vehicle. A critical decision you'll face is whether to opt for the rental agency's collision damage waiver (CDW) or loss damage waiver (LDW). These waivers are not traditional insurance policies; instead, they represent the rental company's agreement not to pursue you for damages if the rental car is damaged during your rental period. By accepting the CDW or LDW, you may avoid claims on your personal auto insurance for damages to the rental car. However, the protection afforded by these waivers is contingent upon the specific language of the waiver agreement and the details of any incident that causes damage. It's important to review the terms carefully and consider how they align with your existing auto insurance coverage before making a decision.