How Unsafe Driving Habits Can Affect Car Insurance Quotes
I recently started shopping for car insurance quotes and had quite an awakening when I found out how my unsafe driving habits are affecting my auto insurance quotes. Now I like to think I am a pretty good driver-been driving for a couple of decades, never been hurt in an accident and thank God I've never hurt anyone. However, I do have both a speeding and no seat belt ticket under my belt, but I was in shock at how much these mistakes cost me.
Now there are some factors that determine your auto insurance quote that you can't control; your age, gender, how many miles you drive to work and where you live are a few of them. But there are factors, particularly unsafe driving habits that you can change. Accidents that are your fault are the biggest factor. If you have an accident that is your fault, even a small fender bender, you can expect your auto insurance quote to go up. Most insurance companies have access to your entire driving history, so if you have a trail of auto accidents over the course of your life, insurance companies may take that into consideration.
Obviously tickets wreak havoc on your car insurance quote. DUIs are death, reckless driving is not far behind and speeding places next in the unsafe driving habit derby. But even lesser infractions such as not stopping at stop signs and failure to yield the right of way have adverse effects. These are simply sloppy, unsafe driving habits that can be avoided-and save you thousands of dollars over the course of just a few years.
There are other factors that can hurt your car insurance quote besides unsafe driving habits. Being in accidents that are not your fault can actually cost you, too, particularly if you are in more than one in a three-year period. If your car is broken into often, your rates jump. And never let your coverage lapse, even for a day, as this will also flag you as a higher risk to the insurance companies.
What I found out as I tried to find a lower car insurance quote is that you really have to work at keeping your rate down by stopping sloppy driving, unsafe driving habits and getting distracted when you drive. These distractions lead to accidents, which lead to higher rates and perhaps worse. After all, it is not just your financial health that you are risking every time you slide behind the wheel. The bottom line is that as far as car insurance quotes go, safety equals savings.
