Posts Tagged ‘liability’

What Factors Affect Your Car Insurance Rates?

If you own or lease a car in most states it is mandatory that all drivers have car insurance. Depending on the type of car and type of ownership car insurance rates can become very expensive, especially in California. Knowing this, one way to get cheap California auto insurance is to know at least some of the factors that affect your rates so that wiser decisions can be made in choosing the car to drive and choosing insurance coverage.

One of the main factors affecting a car insurance rate is your driving record. If you have the misfortune of being in accidents, especially of a severe nature, it is almost guaranteed that your rates will be high. The insurance companies view a driving record as a report on possible liability. The more liability the more risk a company has to take to insure a driver with a blemished driving record. The best advice for improving your driving record is to take the necessary classes authorized by a local motor vehicle administration and become diligent about improving your driving habits. Don’t speed, don’t drive intoxicated and don’t participate in any activities that will cause points to be added to your record. If you follow these tips eventually your driving record will improve and one day you may qualify for more affordable rates and lower premiums.

How Are Your Car Insurance Rates Calculated?

The average American makes car insurance payments his/her entire adult life and most people are baffled by/ discontented with their car insurance rates. Since it is a consistent an unavoidable expense, it is best to understand what determines your insurance rates and use that knowledge to get the best coverage you can. There are many different factors that come into play when determining insurance rates.

Age: According to a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2009, approximately 8 drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 die every single day due to an automobile crash and drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are at least 4 times more likely to cause a car crash than drivers from any other age group. Since young drivers tend to be unsafe, their insurance rates tend to be very high, which is unfortunate since many of them can’t afford to pay so much, given the pressures of minimum wage jobs and /or their academics. They can however, ask their insurance company if they are eligible for any discounts; many companies offer discounts to students who complete a defensive driver’s course or excel academically. Once over the age of 25, most drivers are able to find more affordable car insurance quotes.

Driving record: Your driving record plays a huge part in determining your insurance rates. It is an indication of how likely you are to make claims and have claims made against you. Even something as minor as a few speeding tickets can send your car insurance rates through the roof. The defensive driver’s course mentioned above helps you keep your driving record clean, which in turn helps you find reasonable car insurance quotes and keeps your insurance rates low year after year.

Calendar
May 2012
M T W T F S S
« Apr    
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
  • Partner links