Assigned Risk Auto Insurance Quote

Reader’s Question:

I am helping my mother who lives here in California get auto insurance, I was wondering if you can tell me the criteria to be considered a bad driver by an auto insurance company.  She was told she is an assigned risk driver, what ever that means.

Senai S.

Bakersfield, CA

There are many criteria or factors that can be used by an auto insurance provider to make comparisons between a good and a bad driver. Undoubtedly, the most important factor would be your driving records and history,especially within the past two or three years. Here are a list of reasons why an auto insurance provider might consider you as a bad or high-risk driver.

” Driving Under The Influence (DUI or DWI) arrests and convictions there in California.
” History of license getting suspended, or having been ordered by court to attend mandatory driving classes due to driving violations.
” Unpaid speeding tickets, fines and court costs, or running a red light.
” Moving violations such as not wearing seat belts, not operating child safety restraints etc.
” Involvement in auto accidents, especially if you are at-fault.
” Senior age and teenagers. Although they may not necessarily bad drivers, these age groups have the highest risk of getting involved in car accidents.
” Frequent filing of auto insurance claims may be seen as an indicator that an individual maybe getting involved or is too exposed to car accidents.

Your mother’s credit history may also be used as a “reference” up to an extent. When one gets an auto insurance policy, you are basically assessed as to how much risk you represent to the company. It would be very important to take note if any one of the factors listed above would apply to her when you are on the look out for an auto insurance provider.

Buying Auto Insurance in Oregon

Reader’s Question:

What is the best way to buy auto insurance in Oregon?

Daniel

Portland, OR

Buying through company websites on the Internet is by far the best way to obtain auto insurance in Oregon. This is because one gets to shop for auto insurance without having to leave their homes, unlike the traditional way where one needs to pay a visit or make a call to every single company in the area.

Most companies who provide auto insurance in Oregon also reward their clients who opt to buy their policies online by giving them discounted rates. To be assured that you get the best rates, though, you should be prepared to spend some time in front of the computer. This is because settling for that first offer is not very good as you may get more affordable auto insurance rates from other companies. Just be sure that when shopping for quotes, be consistent with the personal information you give out. You also have to be upfront about the traffic violations and/or convictions in the past. Even your auto insurance claims history will be asked, so might as well be forthcoming about it since they will get to check it with your previous insurer, anyway. Also, remember to get the comparison quotes for the coverage that you plan to obtain, so that the auto insurance rates will be as accurate as possible.

About Auto Insurance Deductibles – Should You Have a High Deductible?

Reader’s Question:

They say you can save more money if you take on a higher deductible when filing auto insurance claims? Is that true?

Strond

Eugene, OR

Yes, it is true that you can get your regular premiums lowered by accepting a higher auto insurance deductible on your policy. A deductible of around five hundred up to a thousand dollars would already make your rates lower than the average. For those not aware, a deductible is basically the amount of money that you pay your car insurance company, or the amount of money the deduce against your total settlement, whenever your auto insurance claims get approved.

Some people tend to worry about having to increase the amount of deductibles on their policy but think of it this way, do you realistically see yourself getting involved in an auto accident there in Oregon in a years time? If raising your deductible to around $800 (depending on how much your auto insurance carrier allows) could mean shaving off around $10 a month then in a year you would have saved more than your deductible on insurance expenses, and if you do get involved in an accident, deductibles on your auto insurance claims will be the least of your concerns.

Aside from raising the deductibles on your insurance coverage, here are a few more suggestions to lower your car insurance costs.

• Consider enrolling in Defensive Driving Classes, not only will you learn how to keep yourself and everyone else safe while on the road, you will also qualify to get a Safe Drivers Discount.
• If you have students using your car (or your a student yourself) you can qualify for Good Students Discounts if you maintain an average of 3.0 or higher, ask your auto insurance carrier about the details.
• If you have not been involved in any car accidents and you have no traffic tickets or moving violations, you should get a good drivers discounts, if you are not getting one already.