When I was allowed to test-drive a TESLA, I was requested to show my driver's license to them, which was naturally issued and valid in Japan. To my surprise, a Japanese driver's license was valid in Hawaii too. That might be only for a limited time, but I was able to drive the car without any legal procedure. Next, about the car insurance. They had taken the bodily injury and property damage liability insurance out, but not for motor vehicle insurance. If I damaged the car, I would have to pay compensation. However, they told me that I could use my drive-other-cars-endorsement, if I took the insurance out.
I got scared. The price of the test drive car was over 100,000 dollars. I had left all my cars' insurance in my old friend's hands. I hastily sent him an email to ask if I had a drive-other-cars-endorsement. My friend was also intimidated by my question. If I had damaged such a valuable car in Hawaii and asked him to handle the accident, ,,, Mr. N, who would read this article, so sorry to have made you confused.
He replied to me that I had already such an endorsement and he would confirm if the endorsement was valid in other countries or not, but before his report came to me, I began to test-drive a TESLA car. I was tense, but both backing the car into the parking spot and parallel parking were totally automatic! I didn't need to be worried about scratching the car. The car which I test-drove was Model X. I got an intense impression from the car. That was the autopilot! It would be in the far future, but I'd like to get one.
(Vocabulary)
take sth out ＜保険など＞に入る, ＜ローンなど＞を組む
The couple took out a $200,000 loan. 夫婦は20万ドルのローンを組んだ．
bodily injury liability insurance 対人賠償責任保険《主に米国で用いられる》
property damage liability insurance 対物賠償責任保険
motor vehicle insurance 車両保険
drive other cars endorsement 他車運転危険担保特約
試乗させてもらうことになったとき、いくつか条件があった。日本の運転免許を持っていること。国際免許で無くてもＯＫというには驚いた。短期間だけかも知れないが、日本の免許でハワイでは車の運転をしても良いとのこと。次に保険のこと。『試乗車は対人・対物保険に無制限で加入しておりますが車両保険には加入しておりませんので、万が一車両損害が発生した場合は全てお客様負担となります。あらかじめご了承ください。保険加入されている場合は、ご自身の他車運転特約が使用可能です。』とのこと。
ビビったよ。車両価格１０００万円を超える車だから。他車運転特約というのに入っているかと所有する車の保険を一任している友人にメールで尋ねたら、やはり友人も質問の内容にビビっていた。もし僕がこんな高価な車をハワイで擦って、保険での処理を頼んだとしたら、、、この記事を読んでいるだろう、Ｎ君、ハワイからの突然の連絡、許せ！
特約は付けているけど海外で乗る車に適応できるのかどうか調べてみると言ってくれたが、結果が来る前に試乗の時刻となったので用心して乗りましたよ。(^o^) しか～～し、バックでの駐車も縦列駐車もすべてオートマチック！ 擦ったりする心配は無用だった。試乗した車はＳＵＶのＭＯＤＥＬＸで、感想は素晴らしいの一言。加速は凄いし、これこそが自動運転！随分先になるだろうが、本気で購入を考えることにした。
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