If you are considered to be a high-risk driver, it can be hard to find car insurance. Some insurance companies won't cover drivers who are a high risk, while others will just charge them very high premiums. No matter which insurance company you choose, the rate you pay will probably be high. But every insurance company is different, so it's important to compare prices to find the best deal.
There are a lot of different things that can lead to a...
If you are considered to be a high-risk driver, it can be hard to find car insurance. Some insurance companies won't cover drivers who are a high risk, while others will just charge them very high premiums. No matter which insurance company you choose, the rate you pay will probably be high. But every insurance company is different, so it's important to compare prices to find the best deal.
There are a lot of different things that can make a person a high-risk driver. But your driving record is the most important thing to look at when figuring out your risk level. If you have been in several accidents in the past year or two to three years, even if they weren't your fault, this will hurt your record. Any accident can make you look like a careless driver who likes to put himself or herself in dangerous situations. Also, if you have gotten more than one ticket for speeding, you are more likely to get into a car accident. You might be called a high-risk driver if you have a lot of tickets for speeding.
A number of personal things also played a role in the high-risk label. Unfortunately, you can't do much about many of these things. Most of the time, men are thought to be riskier than women, and people who live in cities are thought to be riskier than those who live in the country. If you live in a city, your car insurance rates are likely to be higher than if you lived in the suburbs or in the country. Also, drivers with newer cars pay more for insurance than drivers with older cars.
Even your credit history can affect your car insurance rating, which is not good news. People with bad credit usually have to pay more for their insurance than those with better credit. Whether or not you've always had car insurance is also a factor. If there are gaps in your coverage, they will think you drove without insurance during those times. Driving without insurance is dangerous and against the law, so insurance companies take this into account when figuring out your rate.
Even though it can take a few years of safe driving to get rid of the label of "high-risk driver," it is still possible. The standard in the business world is to reevaluate a driver's safety every three years. If you don't get into any more trouble for three years, you can work your way back to lower premiums. But high premiums for three years can really add up over time. Even if you are a high-risk driver, you can still find ways to save money on your insurance. You can cut your payments by a good amount if you do a little research.
There are many companies that offer free online quotes for car insurance. Instead of meeting with a salesperson or playing phone tag with an agent, you can get a quote in minutes from a website. This makes it easier than ever to compare prices. Some websites will even find a list of quotes for you. Sites like Netquote.com let you enter all of your information at once, so you don't have to do it again and again for each insurance company you look into. Netquote will make a list of rates that is easy to read and understand. This may take a few days, but most of the time, the results are worth it.
The best way to make sure you get the best car insurance rates is to work toward a clean driving record. If you can, stay away from crowded areas, and make sure to slow down in places where the speed limit is lower. Be aware of what's going on around you and don't speed, and you'll be on your way to getting your rates lowered.
