[Rick Lee]

Personal insurance may cover it, but if you get the rental company's insurance, I think your own insurance never hears about it if you trash the car, as long as you don't get cited. $25-$40 a day sure beats a rate hike, if you don't do it too often.

I did get into a staged, intentional accident on my honeymoon and, since I rear-ended the car (that deliberately panic-braked for a green light inside the intersection), I was at fault. Sure wish I hadn't had to call my insurance co. about that one. Amex covered the deductible for the rental car, but I got a rate hike that was a lot more than the rental insurance co's would have been for that week.