The Car Insurance Blog

In today’s economy, consumers are continually trying to think of ways to save their hard-earned money. If you want to know how you can lower your car insurance premium, here are some factors that may help you:

1.Your address – neighborhoods that have little traffic compared to congested cities are at lower risk for accidents,and translates to lower premiums. On the other hand, neighborhoods that have a higher rate of vehicle thefts may result to higher premiums.
2.Driving Violations – having a record of accidents or driving violations (such as speeding tickets, DWI, etc.) means that you are at a higher risk for accidents and will mean higher premiums.
3.Accident Claims – insurance companies will check on the accident claims you’ve made in the past. The more claims, the higher premiums.
4.Occupation – There is a statistical correlation between your occupation and risk. A salesman who drives around a lot is more likely to have a higher premium than his secretary who sits behind the desk all day.
5.Education – A higher education means lower premiums. This is one case where ignorance isn’t bliss.

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There are various types of insurance coverage available and the extent of damages covered under each type differs. A comprehensive coverage basically provides car insurance for the hurricane season as well as damages occurring from natural disasters such as rain, wind, storm, fire, flood, snow and tornadoes.

If your car is damaged in a hurricane there are two types of coverage’s available, namely gap coverage and rental reimbursement. In case of gap coverage one gets paid the difference between the amount that you owe on the loan and the actual value of the car. However, in case of rental reimbursement the coverage pays you for a rental car till your car is repaired so that you are not left without transportation while the car is being repaired.

One can take special care during hurricanes such as parking the car indoors, moving it to higher ground or parking it away from telephone poles and trees in case one is denied car insurance for the hurricane season. The best period to buy car insurance for the hurricane season is when there is no approaching news about natural disasters being predicted by the weather department. This is so because some companies refuse to give car insurance for the hurricane season when they know that a disaster is about to hit the area.

In case of an approaching hurricane and if you have not obtained a car insurance for the hurricane season one can take certain precautions. The first tips is to get the car repaired and in proper working condition. Have all important documents such as license, vehicle registration, insurance policies and medical information kept in waterproof bags in the car in case you get caught in a hurricane. Do not venture out on the street if there is an emergency declared and avoid paths that cross the storm. If the car is parked in a garage check the garage door and cover the car with thick padding.

If your car is damaged by flood, fire, earthquake, storms, explosions, falling objects, vandalism, or even just a contact with animals, it is to your advantage if your insurance
policy coverage is comprehensive. One classic example is when you are driving along a highway, there is a truck in front of you and a stone was kicked up and caused a crack in your windshield, a comprehensive car insurance coverage will normally cover the expenses for the repair of your windshield. Another is when you hit a deer or any animal for that matter, while driving down a road, your comprehensive car insurance will pay for the repairs.

It is statistically proven that elder drivers are more careful on the road compared to younger drivers. And because of this, it is far easier for elder people to acquire car insurance that has lower premium but with higher coverage. However, not all insurance providers are particularly keen on providing coverage for the elderly just like with new drivers or provisional license holders.

The elderly need not despair because there are far more number of insurance companies that cater to the needs of this group with excellent policies. Those fifty years and above can secure additional insurance benefits from these companies which may include up to 75% no claims discount and 10% online discount for new customers.

The many states are reviewing rates for auto insurance and are considering fining or asking for higher premiums for drivers who have a nasty habit of breaking the laws of the road. Ask anybody and you’d be surprised to find that many of them have comitted traffic infraction at one time or the other but making it a habit can send your auto insurance premiums up to ever higher rates. This is in hopes of dissuading people from routinely ignoring or even breaking traffic laws and is also aimed to make drivers adopt a safe driving habit. By following the rules, you get lower premiums than the next guy who has hundreds of dollars of parking tickets and a speeding ticket to match.

Having an OnStar supported vehicle allows one to save on their insurance premiums according to GM for they once and for all have a way of verifying the total mileage of vehicles enrolled with the service. The Service is available to most new GM autos and vehicles and is hailed as the triumph between the combination of security, convenience and of course savings. GM was unable to ask for dicounts for their vehicles due to the inability of most insurance firms to verify the total distance a vehicle has travelled to offer discounts. The OnStar service keeps tab of all the vehicles enrolled in the service form the newly purchased ones to the extended contracts older models get with their owners purchasing added time coverage.

The injury is painful at the least and even debilitating if extensive, whiplash is the result of sudden head movement when a car is hit from behind where the body moves forward and the places the neck under strain. Smaller compacts are designed to be safe mostly from frontal impacts leaving the rear vulnerable for drivers. airbags are standard on most vehicles but head restraints in the event of rear crashes say in a car crashing into a vehicle from behind is quite rare. Seats are to blame for the drive to get cheaper seats has reduced their protection properties. Better seat design and materials that absorb crash forces can be the key to safer cars as drivers go on their daily drives. It shows that as people want more compacts or smaller cars, they are also seeing rising injuries to the neck and upper back as a result to these accidents when a heavier vehicle is involved.

The move has started in the US and it is being implemented all across the world. the greener the car the less insurance you have to pay. In the US the initiative started to get more people to buy Green Cars or Hybrids but in the long run, greener cars will indeed save in costs due to less green house gasses. Greener cars have less polluting parts and are mostly recyclable making them cheaper to produce. The ability to recycle is greener and thus more environmentally friendly leaving less problems to deal with in terms of environmental impacts. Governments are beginning to do the same in the many countries of the world which are now feeling the crunch of rising gas prices. With Alaska starting to charge $4.00 per gallon, the supply problems are doing nothing but alleviating problems and prices would be sure to follow.

In the UK, young drivers who go get more lessons such as specialist training for bad weather driving, defensive driving and many more are entitled to get more discounts in their auto Insurance premiums according to lawmakers. New drivers are more often than not the majority of accident causing drivers due to utter inexperience at the skills and getting further training with the many driving schools allows them to learn more and thus drive safer that those who do not get additional lessons. With worsening weather and drivers, better skills are needed to negotiate the many congested streets of London and other major Cities. The more skilled a driver is, the better they cope with changing driving conditions thus the safer the roads.

Governor Sonny Perdue has singed a bill that would allow insurance carriers to establish rates without the consent of the State Insurance Commission which goes against current practice. The control that the state enforces on carriers is seen by many as a thorn in their sides for it disallows competition between companies who have to sell products within state determined rates. Giving the carrier the right to establish their rates allows the m to become more competitive towards other providers giving consumers more power in choosing the best ones for the best prices they see fit.