Auto Insurance News Archive for 2009

• Car Insurance Company Progressive Awarded Voice of the Customer Award

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Who says it doesn’t pay to be nice? Progressive, one of the nation’s foremost car insurance companies was chosen as one of the recipients of the prestigious Forrester Research’s Voice of the Customer Award recently in New York. The awards were presented to the three deserving companies at the Forrester Research’s Customer Experience Forum. Some forty well-known companies from different fields submitted their entries for the awards. The companies came from various industries like retail, financial services, health care, technology, and travel. The companies which represented leading brands, were judged according to the way they collect, interpret, analyze, and react … (more) June 27, 2009

• Research Shows Uninsured Drivers Have “High Intent to Drive”

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Direct General, one of the nation’s largest car insurance providers, recently released alarming information about the country’s uninsured motorists, revealing a high percentage of drivers with the intention to drive despite their lack of insurance. The Nashville-based auto insurance company reported that 36 percent of drivers interviewed said they would continue to drive even when they have no insurance. The figures are significant especially with the July 4th holiday weekend fast approaching, meaning more cars on the roads and a higher possibility of accidents. Even when driving without insurance is illegal in most states, about a third of respondents said … (more) June 27, 2009

• Auto Insurance Company Launches New Ad Campaign

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Direct General, one of the nation’s largest car insurance providers, has recently embarked on an extensive marketing campaign geared towards low-income prospective clients. The Nashville-based company sought the help of Cramer-Krasselt/New York with its recent ad campaign, making use of the July 4th holiday weekend and the summer holiday season to reach out to potential policy holders. Direct General’s campaign was conceived in light of new data from a survey conducted by the company on the willingness of drivers to drive despite the absence of insurance. A research by the company revealed that up to 39 percent of motorists said … (more) June 27, 2009

• National Corvette Museum to Offer Insurance for Collectors

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Even vintage cars need protection. The National Corvette Museum recently announced that it will be offering special car insurance policies to collection car owners and other limited use vehicles. The museum has teamed up with the NCM Insurance Agency to provide special coverage for collection cars rarely driven on the nation’s roads. Corvette owners can avail of the special insurance policy if they drive their vehicles occasionally to events, club meetings, and special trips. They can also get the special insurance as long as they drive less than 1000, 2000, or 6000 miles per year. A portion of the money … (more) June 24, 2009

• AAA Warns Against Cutting Back on Insurance

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  AAA Warns Against Cutting Back on Insurance The AAA is warning residents in the state of Virginia that the organization is seeing troubling patterns with many motorists trying to cut back on their expenses. The automobile club and insurance provider says that more and more policy holders are skimping out on car insurance deductibles which reduces the coverage offered by many insurance companies. As a result, even minor accidents can result to costly repairs and a tarnished driving record. The auto association says that with the summer months finally arriving, more drivers and their families are taking to the road. … (more) June 24, 2009

• Cyclists Call for Insurance vs. Negligent Drivers

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Cycling enthusiasts are calling for new insurance regulations to protect cyclists from underinsured and uninsured drivers in the event of accidents. Bob Mionske, a well-known cycling lawyer, criticized lenient insurance regulations of some states in cases where vehicles and cyclists were involved in violent crashes. In his blog “Road Rights”, Mionske said that while the law requires motorists to be insured, the minimum liability coverage is usually very low. For an example, he mentioned the state of Ohio where the liability coverage is just $12,500. As a result, Mionske explained, cyclists whose injuries exceed the minimum liability coverage of negligent … (more) June 23, 2009

• Humorous Online NY Driving Course to Help Lower Insurance Costs

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Apparently in New York, safe driving is something to laugh about. A new online defensive driver education course created in collaboration with a comedy club is making the rounds with interested drivers. Called Improv Aware Driver, the course was designed by the National Point and Insurance Reduction Course and the famous Improv Comedy Club. The online program makes use of humor to impart important safety lessons to motorists. Drivers need to take the course online and when they finish the program, they can avail of a compulsory 10 percent three-year insurance discount. Aside from the markdown, motorists can also get … (more) June 23, 2009

• Texas Launches New System to Nab Uninsured Drivers

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  A new statewide database system is set to help law enforcers catch uninsured drivers during routine traffic stops and inspections. The system, called TexasSure, can readily be accessed by any local officer or highway trooper to check on the insurance status of drivers pulled over. Drivers found not to be uninsured can then issued a fine ranging upwards to $350 almost immediately. State officials estimate that some 4 million Texas motorists do not carry insurance. That would amount to roughly 20 percent – or one out of every five – of the total number of drivers in the state. Worse, … (more) June 23, 2009

• Bad Economy Forcing Dallas Motorists to Commit Insurance Scams

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  With the current state of the nation’s economy still in the red, more and more car owners in Dallas are resorting to desperate and illegal means to get rid of their cars and claim insurance money. Known as “owner give up”, the insurance fraud scam is alarming criminal lawyers and police officials in Dallas. Drivers abandon their vehicles and in some cases, destroy them, to claim insurance money. Texas ranked second out of all the states for probable owner give-up cases with 353 reported incidents. The data was collected from January 2004 to March 2008, and excludes recent months when … (more) June 23, 2009

• Nevada Ranked 9th Most Expensive State for Car Insurance

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  An article in The Las Vegas Sun, a local newspaper based in Nevada, claims that Nevadans are paying for higher premium rates than most Americans. According to the Sun’s analysis, state residents shell out more than $1,000 per vehicle year in and year out, based on 2006 data. The state effectively ranks 9th across the country with the figures an estimated 23 percent higher than the national average. Other high-cost states like New York and New Jersey have placed higher than Nevada. According to some industry players and state officials, the high insurance rates are the result of failed public … (more) June 23, 2009

• Wisconsin State Senator Fights Auto Insurance Rate Hikes

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  State Senator Mary Lazich says that she insisted the removal of a state provision that would require car owners and motorists to take on additional coverage and in the process increase auto insurance premiums. Her proposal amendment came up during early budget deliberations on the Wisconsin senate floor just last week. In her blog “Conservatively Speaking”, Lazich criticized the provision, saying that with the current economic gloom gripping the nation, the state should not “encourage” motorists to do away with their car insurance. Lazich explained that agents in the auto insurance industry confirmed a hike in auto insurance premiums this … (more) June 23, 2009

• New Jersey Insurer Launches Roadside Assistance Program

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  A New Jersey-based auto insurance provider recently announced that it will be launching a new roadside assistance program for its policy holders come June 27. Teachers’ Insurance Plan of New Jersey said that in addition to its already existing services, the firm insurance provider will be introducing a roadside assistance program for interested customers. “With First Class Roadside Assistance, our customers can travel the country knowing that ‘we have their backs’ in the case of an emergency,” said Marc V. Buro, President of Teachers Auto Insurance Company of New Jersey. He also added, “This package of benefits and services far … (more) June 23, 2009

• SUVs, Sports Cars, Most Expensive to Insure, Research Shows

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Talk about a hole in the pocket. A research released by Insure.com confirms a well-known fact among auto insurers – large SUVs and high-performance sports cars are the cost the most to insure. The research revealed that among the new car models introduced this year, the most expensive to insure is the latest version of Nissan GT-R. The Japanese supercar comes equipped with a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine and 485 horses galloping under the hood. “GT-R owners who are young with less-than-spotless driving records could easily see their annual car-insurance premiums zoom to several thousand dollars,” the report said. In … (more) June 23, 2009

• Auto Repair Shop Owners Decry ‘Steering’

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Talk about David versus Goliath. The owners of auto repair shops in this part of New York have cried foul over the covert practices that some large auto insurers are sticking to when policyholders bring in their vehicles for repairs. Randy Hassell, the owner of Hassel Bros. Auto Body in Jamaica, Queens, deals regularly with representatives and agents of some of the biggest auto insurance firms in the US. He says that more often than not, auto insurers try to weasel their way out of paying claims made by clients involved in accidents, especially those that need repair. When Hassell … (more) June 20, 2009

• Bad Economy Boosts Direct Car Insurance Marketing

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  With the financial slump taking its toll on once-strong US companies, many industry leaders are cutting back on their advertising and marketing expenses. Despite the substantial cutbacks on ad spending, auto insurance companies are resorting to more direct means to reach potential clients and customers. Car insurance firms have been relentlessly sending out direct mail offers to prospective policyholders in an effort to stem the grim economic outlook. Mintel Comperemedia, a provider of direct marketing competitive intelligence and data, says that a total of three billion (that’s billion with a B) mail offers were sent by auto insurers to American … (more) June 20, 2009

• Car Insurance Firm Starts Campaign for Wounded Soldiers

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Who says that you can’t help others and save money at the same time? A car insurance firm has found a way to continue its business and help the country’s brave men and women. Auto insurance company CheapestCarInsurance.com launched its latest program aimed at helping car owners get discounts for their premiums and at the same time, help wounded servicemen and their families. Interested clients can log on to CheapestCarInsurance.com’s website and fill out the forms for free online insurance quotes and half of the income generated will be donated by insurance companies to The Wounded Warrior Project, a charitable … (more) June 20, 2009

• Insurance Giant Launches ‘behavior-based’ Program

  by Jeanny Hopper
  

  Progressive, one of the country’s leading insurance companies recently launched its latest program which targets less-risky drivers and cars. The new service, called MyRate, is a behavior-based insurance program being offered in Connecticut. The new product gives drivers the chance to avail of special rates based on how they drive, when they usually drive, and how much they take their cars out for a spin. However, the new program is available only to Connecticut drivers and car owners who purchase it from the internet or through the phone. By giving clients the freedom to affect and alter their premium rates, … (more) June 20, 2009