With winter weather beginning to strike, drivers should understand how their insurance coverage applies to seasonal hazards, experts told CarInsurance.com.

For example, if conditions force a driver to get out of his or her car because it is stuck, emergency roadside service is included in some car insurance policies or manufacturer warranties.

In the event such assistance is not available, and the vehicle is damaged in the driver's absence, a comprehensive policy should pay for expenses resulting from vandalism or natural disaster. Roadside assistance is also useful for accessing a car when the lock is frozen.

One common difficulty is ice and snow causing a vehicle to slide while going downhill. This may lead the car to strike other, parked vehicles. If a driver finds his or her vehicle has been struck and the individual responsible has not made contact, uninsured motorist coverage may still cover the repairs.

If the driver is responsible for striking parked cars due to the poor weather conditions, then collision coverage should cover his or her own vehicle repairs, while auto insurance liability would compensate the owners of the struck cars.

The hazards of winter require greater driver caution. While some of these hazards may pose a risk to property only, and not human lives and health, they may still cause an unfortunate or incautious driver to pay higher auto insurance rates, so it pays to be careful.