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Tennessee Auto Insurance Quotes

If you're tired of searching for a good deal on Tennessee auto insurance coverage, you've found the right place for your needs. Before purchasing an auto insurance policy, you can research the insurance laws in Tennessee and determine what coverage is required and what coverage is optional. Once you determine what your policy needs to include, you can request insurance quotes from several carriers that are licensed to provide auto insurance coverage to Tennessee drivers.

Auto insurance is a must in all states in the US. Every state has a minimum mandated by state laws. The minimum required will vary from one state to another and it is the same with Tennessee auto insurance as well. Every motorist is supposed to carry the minimum required in order to be able to drive around legally anywhere in the US. However, before you decide to hit the roads you must be aware of the state laws as well.

Tennessee Auto Insurance Minimums

The Tennessee auto insurance minimums are $25,000 for bodily injury for each person, $50,000 for each accident, and $15,000 for property damage. This is the minimum liability coverage that is required in the state of Tennessee. All drivers in every household are supposed to have this mandatory coverage along with proof of insurance that needs to be present in the vehicle at all times. If the motorist fails to provide proof of insurance it could result in Class ‘C’ misdemeanor with a $100-fine as well as a license suspension.

Tennessee Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Most states insist on the drivers having the UM or UIM coverage, which means Uninsured or Underinsured motorist coverage. This is very essential as it will cover for damages in case you are involved in an accident and the other person is not sufficiently covered by an auto insurance policy. However, Tennessee auto insurance does not require this coverage. Although it is not mandatory, it is suggested that drivers purchase this coverage.

Tennessee is a Tort state and you don’t have to carry no-fault insurance. Here, the at-fault driver will have to pay for the medical expenses incurred by the victim. The victim may also claim for compensation in addition to loss of wages along with pain and suffering.

Tennessee DUI Laws

As per the Tennessee DUI laws a BAC of 0.08% will be considered as DUI.  For commercial drivers it is 0.04%, and for minors it is 0.02%. If the BAC is over 0.15% it will attract enhanced sentencing. Tennessee also follows the implied consent law and if you are pulled over under suspicion of DUI and in case you refuse to go through the test, your license would be suspended for a period of one year and if you refuse the second time, the license would be suspended for two years. An SR-22 would be required to reinstate the license.

A first Tennessee DUI offense would attract a fine of $350 to $1,500 with a one year license suspension. You may also be imprisoned for a period of 48 hours or in some cases it may even mean an 11-month jail term. A second Tennessee DUI offense will attract a fine of $600 to $3,500 with a 45-day to one year’s imprisonment. The license would be suspended for a period of two years. As the number of offenses increase, the penalties will also increase sharply and the imprisonment will be followed by a series of other regulatory measures.

Tennessee Distracted Driver Laws

There has been a steep increase in the number of accidents due to distracted drivers. Hence, all states are planning to come out with stricter laws regarding distracted driving and cellphone usage. As per available statistics at least 50% of all motorists in the 18 to 24 age group admit to texting messages while they are behind the wheel. Around 80 to 90% of the accidents take place due to distractions while driving. In fact, six states have already banned the use of cellphones while driving. Presently, 25 states have imposed complete or partial bans on texting messages while operating a vehicle.

The Tennessee Senate Bill 393 prohibits texting while driving. So, it would be best to avoid using a cellphone while driving. If you are caught using the cellphone, you may have to pay a fine and even serve a jail term, if you cause any accident due to distracted driving.

Tennessee Teen Driver Laws

The GDL system or the Graduated Driver Licensing system is used in Tennessee for teenage drivers. This is a system that is used in order to reduce the accidents caused due to high-risk groups such as the inexperienced teenage drivers. It is a system, where the teenage drivers will be introduced gradually to the privileges of driving. This will take them through the learning process in a systematic manner and they will be able to gain sufficient training behind the wheel. This will also help them when they want to obtain a Tennessee driver’s license at a later stage.

The teenage drivers should be at least 15 years of age in order to obtain the learner’s permit. There are three steps for teenage drivers to obtain a valid license. First of all they will obtain the Learner’s Permit, the Intermediate Restricted License, and then the Intermediate Unrestricted License.

In order to get the Learner’s permit, the teenage driver should be at least 15 years of age and should have passed a written exam and a vision test as well. They should provide age proof, identity, and proof of residency. They should also provide the Social Security card. A parent or legal guardian must give consent for the teenage driver to obtain a learner’s permit.

Teenage drivers below 18 years of age applying for a permit should have either a parent or a guardian with them all the time and must complete around 50 hours of behind-the-wheel training.

For Intermediate Restricted License, the teenage driver should be at least 16 years of age and should have held a learner’s permit for a period of six months. Apart from this there are other teen driver restrictions that must be followed by the teenage drivers. Violations will lead to suspension of license and this may cause unnecessary delays in obtaining an Intermediate Unrestricted License.

Auto insurance is a basic necessity. If you wish to obtain the best rates you should ideally shop around for an auto insurance policy. Apply for free quotes online through any of the websites. You will receive multiple quotes and you can pick and choose the one that suits your requirement.