California Shakes Up Auto Insurance Laws

Thanks to Jerry Brown, California’s governor, Californians will be enjoying several changes in 2013 relating to their auto insurance policies. The 30th of September of 2011 was California’s last chance for approving or declining all the new insurance laws that were up for debate. In total over 20 new laws have been passed and they have become active as of January 1st, 2013. According to CheapestCarInsuranceInCalifornia.com, some of the most significant changes were made to California’s car insurance laws.

Driverless Cars

Senate Bill 1298 addresses the new and controversial phenomenon of self-driving cars. These cars have new technology built into them that permits the cars to drive themselves on roads without guidance from a human driver. While there is still much discussion pertaining to several aspects of these newly introduced autonomous vehicles, the new bill does allow them to be used on public roads. Google lobbied heavily for this law, as they are the pioneers of this new and exciting technology. It’s passage marks an important step towards the continued development and testing of driverless cars.

Reinsuring

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (naic.org) Credit for Reinsurance Model Law was introduced back in 2011, determining the criteria used by insurance commissioners in order to award certification to reinsurers. At the heart of this law insurance companies that are not authorized reinsurers may still be able satisfy the credit for reinsurance standards of their state by posting a reduced collateral. The new Senate Bill 1216 will make the necessary changes to California driving law so that the state is up-to-date pertaining to the changes made by the NAIC law two years ago. California’s version of the law allows certain exceptions pertaining to the ability for a company to receive a credit for reinsurance. This change gives California more control over which companies and reinsurance applications are approved for reinsurance.

Protections for Missed Payments

Besides the Senate Bills, a multitude of Assembly Bills also went into effect. Assembly Bill 1747 offers a reprieve for policyholders when it comes to unpaid insurance premiums. According to the new law, insurance policies must now come with a 60-day grace period where the policyholder can pay the debt owed and still be covered by the policy. Furthermore, the new bill also allows the policyholder to designate additional people that will receive a notice pertaining to the termination of the policy as a result of unpaid premiums.

New Ways to Provide Proof of Auto Insurance

In the past the only way drivers have been able to provide proof of insurance was to show paper documents provided by their insurer. With Assembly Bill 1708, auto insurance companies are now allowed to provide their customers with proof insurance as an electronic document. This enables drivers to keep their proof of insurance on their mobile devices and instructs peace officers that this is a legal and valid proof of insurance.

Protections for Police and Firefighters

Under the Assembly Bill 2298, insurance companies are not allowed to raise a police officer’s or firefighter’s private car insurance policy in response to an accident they were involved in while driving their private vehicle in the call of duty or at the request of their employer. Under these circumstances, the police officer or firefighter will also have no liability regarding loss or injury claims as the result of the accident.

Protections for Drivers with a Commercial License

Assembly Bill 1888 ensures that a driver possessing a commercial driver’s license can take a traffic violator course from a certified traffic violator school to remove points from their license that are a result of a traffic violation while driving a motorcycle, light duty truck or passenger car. The goal of this bill is provide a way for people who drive for a living to avoid the cancelation of their driver’s license resulting from the accumulation of points on their license. Insurers, however, are still allowed to take such offenses into consideration when determining insurance rates for a driver and also for underwriting purposes.

Disclosure of Requests of Compensation

This law is targeted at making public all requests of compensation made by any persons or consumer interest groups. Under it, California’s Department of Insurance must publish all such requests and their findings on their official website.

Finding the Cheapest Car Insurance in Florida

Florida is a fantastic state to live in, offering its residents warm weather year round, beautiful beaches, vibrant cities, and even Walt Disney World in its backyard. If those qualities weren’t enough, Florida also offers some of the cheapest car insurance in the United States. You might find this surprising since Florida is USA’s second most densely populated state, but the fact remains that Florida is far from the top of the list when it comes to expensive car insurance rates.

Why is there Cheap Car Insurance in Florida?

The main way Florida has managed to bring down its car insurance rates is by requiring that all it’s drivers carry “no fault insurance”. If you are a Florida resident and drive on public roads, you are legally obligated to purchase this very specific type of insurance coverage.

In Florida “No fault insurance” is a type of coverage called Personal Injury Protection (PIP). Under Personal Injury Protection insurance, if you are involved in an accident your insurance company will cover the costs of any injuries to you and/or your passengers, up to the limits of your policy, regardless of whether or not you were the cause of the accident. The only exception is if any of your passengers also own a vehicle, in which case their own Personal Injury Protection insurance would cover their injuries. It’s worth noting that Personal Injury Protection also covers injury to pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as children traveling in school buses.

Because Personal Injury Protection allows insurance companies to pay claims directly and quickly to the victims regardless of who caused the accident, they are able to avoid the additional costs of the litigation processes that are typical when there is the need to decide who was the cause of the accident. By avoiding the issue of who was at fault, insurance companies are able to avoid covering extremely expensive lawyer and court fees. In turn, these savings have been passed down to Florida’s drivers in the form of lower monthly insurance premiums.

Unfortunately, while Florida’s No Fault Insurance has led to noticeably lower auto insurance rates compared to other states, it has also led to an increased rate of car insurance fraud. In fact, car insurance fraud in Florida increased by a shocking 66% between the years 2005 and 2010. This type of fraud involves citizens staging accidents with the intent to collect on property and injury damages from their insurers. These criminal activities have been a huge financial drain to insurance companies and have kept car insurance rates from being even lower than they could be.

However, on May 4 2012 new legislation was signed by Florida’s chief executive, Governor Rick Scott, that brings important changes to Florida’s car insurance system. These changes are designed to decrease car insurance fraud by making it easier for law enforcement agencies to identify staged accidents and by requiring clinics and physicians to be more stringent in their billing practices. If these measures are successful in decreasing insurance fraud, the result will be even more car insurance savings for Florida residents in the years to come.

How to Find the Cheapest Car Insurance in Florida?

Regardless of the fact that Florida has managed to reign in it’s car insurance rates and continues to find ways to decrease it’s average insurance rates, you still may be interested in tracking down the cheapest car insurance in Florida amongst the already cheap rates insurance companies are able to offer. Here are some tips that can help:

1) Decide Your Coverage

The first thing to determine is what kind of coverage you desire. Florida car insurance laws require that you carry a minimum Personal Injury Protection (PIP) of $10,000. In addition you need to carry a minimum Property Damage Liability (PDL) of $10,000. However, if purchasing a policy that only satisfies Florida’s minimum requirements makes you uncomfortable, you may want to raise these limits. This is an especially wise thing to do if you have substantial assets worth protecting. 

If you are interested in even more protection, are two other types of coverage worth considering: Bodily Injury Liability and Physical Damage Coverage. 

• Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) provides additional coverage if you or your family members cause an accident. It is designed to cover the high costs serious injury or death to others as well as legal fees that may arise due to a lawsuit against you.

• Physical Damage Coverage (PDC) provides coverage to your own vehicle in the case it is damaged by an at fault accident.

2) Start Shopping

Once you’ve decided on the types and the levels of coverage you are comfortable with, you can embark on the most effective way to find the absolute cheapest car insurance: shopping around. There are many ways to approach this. One is to call all the insurance companies you can find in your area and get quotes directly from them over the phone. Another method is to use quote comparison websites online to help you organize all of the information you will be gathering. Cheapest Car Insurance in Florida is a good example and an obvious starting point if you are a Florida resident.

Whichever method you choose, your goal should always be to get as many insurance quotes as possible. By doing this you can be confident that by the end of this process, you will have truly found the cheapest car insurance available at the current time of your search.

Keep in mind that an excellent tactic is to even get quotes from insurance companies that you may consider to be unreliable or have lower ratings than others. Because of their less than stellar track records, these companies will often offer you the cheapest premiums to make up for their tainted reputations. Once you secure these legitimate quotes, you can then contact the companies you would prefer be covered by and see if they are willing to match one of the lower quotes you found.

Finding the cheapest car insurance in Florida isn’t the easiest or most exciting thing to do, but if you take the time to do it right, you are guaranteed to reap the rewards for years to come.

Cheap Full Coverage Auto Insurance

When it comes to getting auto insurance, drivers have to plan accordingly, taking into consideration their budget. For those that are not careful, monthly premiums can quickly overwhelm them and the payments can just keep piling on. This is why a lot of motorists are forced to give up some services in order to end up with an affordable insurance policy.

For some drivers, this is fine. Not everyone needs full coverage car insurance. However, for many, full coverage is prudent and often a requirement. For example, if you have a car loan or are leasing a car, as part of your contract your bank will most likely require that your vehicle be fully insured. Alternatively, if you live in a bad neighborhood or in an area with heavy traffic, you run a higher risk that your car will be damaged or even stolen. In these situations a full coverage policy is without a doubt a wise choice… if you can afford it.

Does Cheap Full Coverage Auto Insurance Exist?

You’ll be happy to hear the answer is yes. With a little effort, any driver can find a good deal on full coverage. Full coverage is usually defined as a combination of comprehensive, liability and collision coverage, along with any other benefits you would like to be added to the insurance policy. So how is finding an affordable price for full coverage possible?

Do Your Research

Researching is a big part of getting cheap full coverage auto insurance and the best part is, with the help of the Internet, it can be done from the comfort of your home. There is no shortage of sites that can help you organize and compare multiple car insurance quotes on the web. A site like Cheap Full Coverage Auto Insurance is an obvious choice, but regardless of which site you choose to help you organize your research, the most important thing is to never settle on the first insurance quote you receive. The differences in services and prices between companies can be quite disparaging, so always make sure that you request quotes from as many insurance companies as you can before you commit to any one insurance carrier.

Remember that when you are requesting insurance quotes, each should reflect the exact same level of coverage from company to company. The term “full coverage” can have different meanings to different insurance companies. While some only provide liability, collision and comprehensive coverage in their policy, others will have a host of other features such as personal injury protection and roadside assistance coverage. By making sure the levels of coverage are all the same on your quotes, you will able to compare them on a level playing field and easily see which is the best deal.

Become a Candidate for Cheap Full Coverage Auto Insurance

The idea that all insurance companies are looking to squeeze every penny out of their clients is false. This is made clear by the many discounts they offer. Here are a few that are easy to take advantage of.

1) Protect Your Vehicle

One of the biggest features included in full coverage auto insurance is comprehensive coverage. This means that the insurance company has to pay for repairs or replacements in the eventuality that your car gets stolen or damaged while it is stationary and not involved in a collision. Replacing a car is very expensive and any company would like to avoid this problem, if possible. That is why something as simple as installing a good anti-theft device in your car will lower your premiums significantly. Although, be aware: you must notify the company of your improvements in order to benefit from a discount.

All of the factors that determine how safe your car is when you are not driving it will impact the price of full coverage insurance. That is why you need to let the insurers know of any aspect that works in your favor: is the car locked in a garage at night, do you live in a safe neighborhood, does it have GPS tracking etc. Each one will reduce your monthly premiums little by little until you end up with cheap full coverage auto insurance.

2) Be the Driver They Want You to Be

It should be no secret to any motorist that the driver has a very big impact on the cost of a policy. All insurance companies label their clients as low risk, medium risk and high-risk drivers. Obviously, those that are low risk make the ideal customers. They also get the biggest discounts and the best deals.

In order to be labeled as a low risk driver, all you need to do is drive carefully. Do not get involved in accidents, do not get speeding tickets, do not get DUIs and insurance companies will be fighting over you. That is no exaggeration. If you are a low risk driver then you are a genuine asset to all insurance companies. They will all want to have you as a client, so if your current insurance provider is not giving you the best deal possible then do not be afraid to switch providers. You are in high demand and you are sure to get a better deal someplace else.

3) Group Your Policies Together

Consolidating your all of your insurance policies under one insurer will usually lower the premiums for all of the policies. The average person has at least three different types of insurance: automobile, home and health. Buying all three from the same provider will almost always result in big savings. If more policies are added, then the discount will only get bigger. Ask whether this is possible before you settle on an insurer because it is one of the simplest ways to get a discount.

As you can see, the word “cheap” does not have to mean poor quality. If you are resourceful, you can enjoy the exact same benefits as any fully covered driver, while paying a lot less. The things you have to do in order to find and take advantage of discounts are easy and can make cheap full coverage auto insurance a reality.

Is Prop103 Really Keeping insurance Rates Down?

Proposition 103 is a state law established in California that allows people to protest and eventually prevent excessive price hikes in auto insurance rates. Its efficiency was made obvious recently when car insurance giant Geico asked the California Department of Insurance to increase the insurance rates for all automobiles by 4 percent.

Luckily for drivers who want the cheapest auto insurance in California possible, the nonprofit consumer protection agency Consumer Watchdog got wind of the company’s intentions before anything could be finalized and successfully used Prop 103 to prevent Geico from going through with the rate increase. In fact, in order to keep the public on their side, Geico did a complete 180 and actually promised to instead reduce the rates for their car insurance by 10,7 percent.

This was hailed as a clear victory for the drivers of the state of California and it was attributed to Prop 103. According to Robert Hunter, insurance director for the Consumer Federation of America, it is due to Prop 103’s contributions that the state has kept it’s insurance rates from rising.

However, a spokesman for the Insurance Information Network of California, Pete Moraga claims that Prop 103 has only a small role overall and that there are other factors which contribute a great deal more than Proposition 103. According to Moraga, one of the main reasons for low insurance rates is the decrease in auto lawsuits over the last years. In turn, this is attributed to the reversal of the Royal Globe decision which led to a severe decline in frivolous lawsuits, bringing the yearly average from 91,000 to just 42,000 lawsuits.

Better legislature that led to lower car insurance rates also includes stiffer drunk driving laws. Enforcing this aspect of driving more vehemently has led to a decline in road accidents over the last decades. Another law known as the “no pay, no play” initiative prevents uninsured drivers from being able to sue a second party with car insurance that was involved in an accident with them. Furthermore, California has followed the route taken by other states and created a strong cooperation between the law enforcement agencies, the prosecution and insurance investigators that allows them to be more proactive and find and punish cases of insurance fraud.

Along with all these legislative initiatives that have contributed to lower car insurance rates, the final reason rates might be lower are the times we live in. New technologies like automatic brake systems and airbags have made newer cars a lot safer, which has led to a decrease in fatalities over the last decade. The actual success of Prop 103 by itself is hard to determine, but it is clear that it prevented at least one company from raising it’s insurance rates in California and other insurance companies may very well be following Geico’s example.

More about the effects of Proposition 103

Online Quotes from Fleet Insurance Companies

The convenience and suitability of fleet insurance is designed to meet the requirements of anybody, generally businesses, who operate several vehicles. This could include haulage contractors, vehicle hiring companies and in fact any organisation with multiple transportation. Fleet insurance services will extend coverage under one policy for all your vehicles, making it convenient and easily manageable.

As in all aspects of insurance, there is high competition among the providers who offer various attractive alternatives. It would therefore be advantageous to any fleet owner to conduct some thorough research and seek the best quotation for their particular needs. Your regular insurance provider will be a good point to begin, but to ensure you receive the most favorable, terms, conditions and rates, investigating offers from online sources will provide a good comparison.

When considering your quotation, companies will consider your specific application, including the size of your fleet and usage frequency. Obtaining quality insurance cover is always preferable to concentrating primarily of getting a cheap rate and when comparing the various rates offered, ensuring that all aspects are considered equally, including the type of vehicle quoted. Another consideration is whether the vehicles will all be used for the same purpose which could make a difference to the insurance premium.

During your research into the best available fleet insurance services and their providers, you will have the opportunity to clarify all aspects applicable to the various advantages and disadvantages of the policy conditions. This will include the benefit of advice from qualified professional personnel, who will be able to inform you regarding the variable differences of this type of insurance policy.

A further aspect to consider is the standard and ability of your drivers. This could be relative to not only the safety factor, but also in respect of a lower insurance premium, if they are trained and have an established record of competency. Even if you do not at present operate a fleet of vehicles, but have the intention of doing so soon, then fleet insurance could help you determine various preferred factors related to your vehicles and their operation.

Find out about fleet insurance services at Blueangeltech

Top 5 Insurance Companies for Traditional On-road Vehicles

In a perfect world, every insurance company would be equal and it wouldn’t matter which one you selected. However, this is the real world and you have some choices to make. Granted, most car insurance companies offer the same basic coverage, but it’s the little extras such as customer service and discount options that make the difference. Here is a ranking of the top five cars insurance companies for traditional on-road vehicles based on affordability, responsiveness and overall value and quality of service.

1. Progressive

Progressive is consistently ranked among the top insurance companies in terms of customer service. The company also provides a wide selection of auto insurance options. You’ve probably seen the commercials for this company – and yes, they do have many attractive discounts. The most appealing is accident forgiveness, but beware that it only applies to the first accident within a certain amount of time. If you can afford to, Progressive offers a substantial discount for paying your policy upfront. The company also throws in a bunch of safe driver discounts and other discounts for newer vehicles, cars with added safety features and multi-vehicle discounts for covering all your vehicles under a single policy. Progressive has a high customer satisfaction rate with customer complaints under 1%. Flo would approve. Call (800) 776-4737 for additional information.

2. GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company)

Based on customer reviews and industry ratings, GEICO offers substantial discounts for qualified drivers while maintaining solid customer service. You can get an online quote or call 1-800-861-8380 for that “human touch,” as their website proclaims – a nice touch in today’s automated world. Like most companies offering auto insurance, you’ll get better discounts for maintaining a good driving record. GEICO offers discounts for having airbags, an anti-lock break system, having daytime running lights, using a seat belt for the driver and all passengers, taking a driver’s education course and being a good student for drivers between the ages of 16 and 25. Agent response time for GEICO ranks higher than most companies, a plus for anyone who has been frustrated when trying to reach an agent. Call (800) 861-8380 for more details.

3. Esurance

Despite the name, Esurance offers covered online and over the phone. Once considered a novel insurance company that couldn’t really compete with the big guys, Esurance has earned a solid rep with good customer service and attractive discounts, especially for auto insurance coverage. Some of the more attractive perks offered by Esurance include claim-free discounts for drivers who don’t file a claim for at least five years, multi-vehicle discounts, a 5% discount for signing up online, vehicle safety discounts and a discount for being a homeowner. According to customer reviews, overall service rates high. Couple that with the discounts available and you should be satisfied with coverage from Esurance. Call (800) 378-7262 for a quote by phone.

4. Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual ranks high for all vehicle coverage options, on or off-road. If you work for a company that is part of Liberty Mutual’s affinity program, you automatically earn a discount. This special group discount is available in every state except Texas. The other discounts are pretty much standard, including discounts for newer cars, adding more safety features to your car and a discount for keeping your yearly mileage under 7500. Add to these exceptional customer service ratings, and Liberty Mutual should serve you well. Call (800) 451-7065 for additional information.

5. Allstate

Allstate has consistently ranked among the top rated insurance companies. This holds true for auto insurance coverage too. Each plan offered by Allstate includes 40 different options. The most popular of Allstate’s option is the auto forgiveness plan. It has the same stipulations of the Progressive version. Other popular auto discounts from Allstate include a $100 savings for every year you go without an accident, new car replacement in the event of an accident that takes your car out of commission and a safe driver bonus. Perks for multi-vehicle coverage and decent coverage for off-road vehicles make Allstate a solid choice for your car insurance needs. Call (877) 834-0398 to speak to an agent.

Combining On-road and Off-road Coverage

If you have off-road vehicles as well as traditional on-road vehicles, you may want to consider auto insurance companies that offer coverage for both types of vehicles. Insurance isn’t required for all off-road vehicles, but insuring these vehicles could save you thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses should an accident happen. State Farm, Progressive and Allstate are highly rated for both types of coverage, but most auto insurance companies offer some type of off-road coverage. Off-road coverage tends to be more expensive because laws concerning off-road vehicles vary widely by state. However, you’ll save some money by combining coverage for all vehicles you own – off-road or on-road.

Look at the type of coverage you get. Consider what type of vehicles you have that need insurance. You’ll save more money by combining coverage when possible, but make sure you are still getting the coverage you need. Remember, car insurance isn’t set in stone. You can evaluate your coverage annually and make adjustments. Saving money without sacrificing service is always a good thing. Your mom would approve.

Greg Carter is a commercial driver and when he isn’t on the road blogs for usedsemitrailers.com, a site where you can find all kinds of Used Trailers – even a lowboy trailer!