It can get pretty challenging to get a cheap auto insurance policy if you have prior accidents in your record. And most auto insurance companies will not be willing to look at your current record and instead will rely on your past to make a decision about your risk of being involved in another accident.
A record is maintained by the department of motor vehicles of every state. This record will show all the accidents that you have been involved in. it will also show all the citations that you have received from the police as a result of your traffic infractions. Once a citation is entered in this record, it is going to be there forever.
What is not known is that auto insurance companies will also look at criminal records while deciding your insurance rates. You can get a criminal record for something as simple as not paying your subway fare or urinating in public to something as serious as assault. Once you get a criminal record there is no way to remove it unless it is a misdemeanor. In such cases, the record can be expunged after a certain period and you will not have to pay for it for the rest of your life.
If you end up being classified as a high risk driver for any one of the above cases, there is no reason to lose hope. There is still a lot of things that one can do in order to drive home the point that one is a reformed individual who is no longer a risk to society at large and the insurance company in particular.
The first thing to do will be to look for insurance companies that are willing to deal with a high risk individual. Talk to people in the business or even friends and family to find out which ones would be willing to do this. Once you find a company which deals with such cases, the next step is to build your case in such a way that you get a good deal.
Try to enroll yourself in a defensive driving course. This course is an advanced one which will help you enhance your skills and avoid being involved in a situation which can lead to an accident.
You can also reduce your auto insurance rates by getting an automobile with all the modern safety features like airbags, anti lock braking system, electronic stability program and crumple zones. Most modern cars are equipped with such features and these will cut a lot from your car insurance rates because the insurance company knows that even if you do meet with an accident, you will be safe.
If you do have a criminal record for a minor offence, which a lot of people end up doing during their high school years, hire a lawyer to get the case expunged. Your record will be removed from all the national databases and you will not have to answer by saying that you have been convicted in a court of law.
But the best and most obvious way to get a good deal is to maintain a good profile after the incident which has tarnished your record. Take double care to ensure that you do not repeat whatever you did. A double offence of any kind can jeopardize not only your auto insurance rates but also your future.
