Auto Insurance News Archive for November, 2009

• Pay-as-you-drive Auto Insurance Makes another Mile

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  California legislators have moved a step forward in pushing a policy that will determine the auto insurance rate of a motorist according to the number of miles he drives. Usage based auto insurance, more popularity known as a pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) policy, was initially proposed several months ago to help drivers save on their policy costs. PAYD is not new concept in the auto insurance industry. There are many countries that are practicing, among them United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Japan. 30 states in the country are currently allowing carriers to offer the plan to consumers as a limited … (more) November 5, 2009

• Police Efforts Helpful in Lowering Premium Rates

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Insurers cannot quantify its effects yet but they say efforts by law enforcers in curbing vehicle theft would eventually push Denver auto insurance costs down. Aided by new technology along with their dedication, the police have trimmed down the rates of stolen vehicles by double digits. Local law enforcers have been employing new technologies to protect car owners from vehicle thieves. Sheriffs in some counties plant GPS tracking devices on farm tractors or four-wheeler trucks left out to trick machinery thieves. Cops in Metropolitan Denver drive vehicles equipped with computerized license plate readers that can detect stolen vehicles in one … (more) November 4, 2009

• Car Insurer Closes Several Offices in Florida

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  An auto insurance provider, popular among car owners struggling with their credit, has closed several offices and has stopped accepting new applicants in some Florida areas, including Tampa. Direct General Insurance Agency Inc., which provides coverage in the state under the Florida No-Fault and Cash Register brands, closed nine retail stores this week causing disappointment among policy holders. They closed five offices in Tampa, one in West Palm Beach, another one in Fort Myers, and two in Miami. A company spokeswoman says it is no longer writing new car policies in those areas. But she assures current policy holders that … (more) November 4, 2009

• Drivers Urged to Remain Cautious Despite Drops in Deer Crashes

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  The number of deer-vehicle crashes in Delaware has gone down in 2008 but experts tell motorists to remain cautious, with most of those accidents tending to rise during this time of the year. A resident of Morrow County reported that he was driving through Marengo early morning yesterday at 50 miles per hour when three doe darted across the road in front of him. Driving at a low speed, he was able to avoid all three of them but something heavy smashed hard into his truck’s bumper. It was a ten-point buck running after the female deer which caught the … (more) November 3, 2009

• Experts Tell Parents that They Can Avoid Rise in their Auto Insurance Premium

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Insuring a teenage driver is quite expensive, with their premium bills sometimes costing three times more than adult drivers. But car insurance companies say they can provide discounts to parents that would keep their teenage driver’s bill from hurting their pocket. Teenagers are at their safest if they keep off the road, but that is impossible for students living in large metropolitan areas. They often have to drive on their way to school, sporting events, and part-time jobs. Once they start turning on the ignition, parents know that they need to get their teenager covered. However, adding a teenager to … (more) November 3, 2009

• Consumers Urged to Choose the Right Auto Insurance Deductible

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Uncertain about how well the United States economy will do in the coming months, most car owners expressed willingness to undertake all means that would help them save on auto insurance cost. But many policy holders neglect one thing that could significantly lower their premium cost—choosing the right deductible. According to experts, paying higher deductibles could reduce the premium by a huge percentage. But they advise consumers to consider several factors first before spending on deductibles unnecessarily. Industry specialists explain that carriers require policy holders to pay a certain amount of money out of their pocket when filing a claim. … (more) November 2, 2009

• Repair Shops: Drivers Pocketing Auto Insurance Money

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Owners of auto repair shops thought that their business would never get affected by recession. In fact, they expect body repairs to go up during economic crunch since drivers would choose to have their old vehicles repaired instead of buying a new one. But things took an unexpected U-turn this year, with car fixers saying the bad economy is driving them out of business. A shop owner from Greenfield Ind. says he may stop operating this year since car owners prefer not to have their vehicles fixed. He pointed out to the economy as the culprit behind his failing business. … (more) November 2, 2009

• Better Auto Insurance in 2010

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  The inconsistency found in auto insurance will finally be modified. The gathering of signatures will begin this week. It will all be about the initiative which is planned to be carried out for the 2010 ballot. This will give consumers more benefits like expanded discounts and much cheaper premiums for auto insurance. This will affect millions of Californian policyholders who have a regular auto insurance coverage in effect. Currently, the law provides insurance providers the prerogative to give their policyholders a discount for having a continued auto insurance coverage from their company. This is otherwise known as the loyalty discount. … (more) November 1, 2009

• Division of Consumers on Auto Insurance Coverage Shown by Polls

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Pollsters made a study with Ontario residents. The study was in the form of a poll initiated early this October. The poll tackled the view points of the correspondents as to how they see the cost of automobile insurance. The main question lies in whether the people see the premium price as highly significant. Seventy percent of the correspondents said that the price of the premium is very important. On the other hand, sixty-seven percent of the correspondents have said that the coverage is important as well. This indicates a close fight between the two. The difference has been due … (more) November 1, 2009