HOW CAN I LOWER MY CAR INSURANCE RATE?

Is there really a way to lower my car insurance rate other than shopping around between insurance companies? When I shop around, I only save a few dollars. I want to save a significant amount of money.

You Are a Statistic

According to an article published by Forbes, “You’re already a statistic.” Insurance companies make money by collecting premiums. They lose money by paying vehicle accident claims; therefore, they want to limit the amount of money they must pay on each claim. They also want to have you pay as much as possible for that claim yourself. The way this is done is through your premiums.

According to data from Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, drivers file auto accident claims once every 17.9 years. If you have not filed a claim in the past 18 years, according to insurance estimates, you are overdue for a car accident. Along with your age, gender, marital status, and other information, you are a statistic. The insurance company must price your insurance rates low enough to entice you to buy its insurance but high enough so you pay a substantial amount in premiums during the 18 years before you file a claim. In other words, you are “financing” your accident claim by paying monthly insurance premiums.

Insurance companies use data and computer software to create a profile they use to price your insurance rates. It basically comes down to the following questions:

• How likely are you to have an accident?
• How much will that accident cost the insurance company?

How Can I Get Cheaper Car Insurance?

You cannot change your gender or your age and you cannot change the statistics used by insurance companies regarding the likelihood of a driver being in an accident. However, there are several things that you can control that may lower the amount you pay for car insurance if you can maintain some self-control when driving.

• Avoid driving between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) this is when you are more likely to be involved in an accident with a drunk driver. Your risk of a fatal accident is four times higher at night. The NHTSA also reports that most accidents occur during rush hour (3 p.m. to 6 p.m.); therefore, avoiding rush hour can decease your risk of being involved in an accident.
• Do not drive impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. You are more likely to cause a car crash if you are drinking or using drugs.
• Avoid congested traffic. Heavy traffic increases the risk of rear-end collisions and aggress driving.
• Avoid distracted driving. Distracted driving is becoming more of a problem than drunk driving. The use of cell phones and other electronic devices increase the risk of causing an accident.
• Do not speed. As you increase your speed, you increase the risk of an accident because you reduce the time you have to react to changes in traffic or other situations.

You must have vehicle insurance; however, you can pay lower insurance premiums by driving safely and keeping a clean driving record.

Do You Need a Sacramento Accident Attorney?

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact the personal injury attorneys of Tiemann Law Firm for a free consultation. Schedule your free consultation or get my information by calling our toll free number (916) 999-9000 or chat with a representative on our website.