Are you a new driver? Or perhaps you’ve already been driving for years already. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you fully understand everything you really should know about car insurance. Truth be told, car insurance is a very complex and complicated subject for some!
And it doesn’t help when drivers are given wrong information by others through word of mouth and or those misleading resources, websites and shady car insurance salesman that will tell you anything just to get you to sign up to them! It can be a real minefield to navigate!
Well if you’re a driver then it’s really important and crucial in fact to know the difference between the facts and the myths of car insurance so you can make a much better, more well informed decision on what coverage you need for the type of vehicle(s) you are driving.
So to help you with that, here’s some car insurance tips that every driver must come to know today if you are to avoid the pitfalls and those misguided misconceptions that some people spread like wildfire. Even though what they say is wrong, it still does!
Car Insurance Tip #1: Parking Tickets and Traffic Violations May Increase Your Premiums
Come to understand and know how a ticket can increase your car insurance premiums. Most car insurance organizations today will only charge you for a moving violation, like crashing into someone. And don’t add more to your premium for parking tickets which wont affect your insurance. There’s also other tickets you can get which don’t increase your insurance rates but these change from insurance company to company.
Moral of the story is, always check your car insurance provider first to see whether or not they charge you extra for getting parking tickets and or traffic violations. Even if you think you’ll never illegally park somewhere or commit a traffic violation, you should still check if you’re affected by them.
Car Insurance Tip #2: Car Insurance Doesn’t Always Cover Your Belongings
Most people who want to get their car insured don’t realize or even check if that insurance covers them for things within the car. Such things like stereo equipment and any aftermarket parts added to your car, including valuables you leave inside it over night or when parked up somewhere.
Car insurance that covers you for everything, such as theft and damage to your vehicle, as well as any valuables you have in or on the car isn’t the most affordable insurance you can get today. And for this reason, most car insurers only insure you for the car itself and not the contents in/on it.
This will vary greatly depending on the insurance company and person. A person must check this first before taking it out if they want to be covered for theft from within the vehicle itself. Because most car insurers will only protect you from impact damages or even any medical charges that result from you being in an accident (when it wasn’t your fault).
So you should make sure that your insurance covers this if you want to be covered for theft and damage to any equipment and or new parts that you’ve had fitted to your vehicle. Like upgraded wheels, new engine parts etc. And keep the receipts for them as well as they will come in handy!
Car Insurance Tip #3: Understand No Fault Insurance
There are some accidents and faults which are a bit of a gray area for insurers. Usually, someone is at fault in any car crash or collision though. But regardless to who is to blame for the fault or collision, the insurance company will only pay out the claims to those who are subscribed to them. And that also can mean that those who weren’t at fault will still have to pay increased rates. So find out if you’re covered for faults that aren’t your own.
Car Insurance Tip #4: Insurance Doesn’t Cover All Your Cars
There are a lot of people who think that their insurance covers them for every car they drive. But that’s not always the case. Most insurers only cover you for the car you have registered with them. That means if you are driving around in a car that you’ve borrowed from someone and have a crash in it, then not only may the owner find his insurance rates are increased but you wont be covered for the accident by your own either. This is something that’s very important to know about and be aware of should you ever borrow and use other peoples vehicles like your friends & families.
Car Insurance Tip #5: Understand The Legal Minimum
Every state in the US has their own rules and regulations for drivers (mostly). They have their own standard legal liability that every driver driving in that state will need to know about and understand. But you should also be aware that the legal liability coverage is not the same amount in each state and it doesn’t always cover you for collision damage. A driver should carry more than the minimum legal amount so as to avoid having to pay out any out of pocket expenses. Of course, these legal mandates are set up to make sure no one can drive a vehicle without the right liability insurance.
Conclusion
We told you that told car insurance can be a very complex and complicated subject! But really all it takes is learning these important things before you take it out so that you will know which car insurance plan is right for you and the vehicle and or vehicles that you will be or want to drive.