The most
recent statistics show that approximately 42,915 people died in car accidents in the
United States in
2021. This represents a considerable increase of 10.5 percent when compared
with 2020. Furthermore, 4.8 million people suffered serious injuries.
These
statistics alone show why it is so important to choose quality car insurance
that will cover the costs associated with a crash. Not only do insurance
policies cover incidents like this but they can help in situations such as
theft or vandalism.
However,
with so many different insurance policies to select from, it can often be
difficult to know where to begin. A lot of people simply end up going for the
cheapest policy they can find, without considering what the policy covers or
the representation of the insurance provider.
With that
in mind, continue reading to discover the different reasons why investing in a
good auto insurance plan always pays off.
It is
important to realize that cheap auto insurance does not necessarily equate to
poor quality insurance. There are some excellent yet cheap commercial auto
insurance policies out there.
What you
need to do is get into the nitty-gritty of the policy. Find out when you are
covered, what the exclusions are, how much excess you need to pay, and the
company’s track record for paying out. These are the sorts of factors that are
going to influence how good an insurance policy is.
Never let
price be your determining factor. Instead, dig deep into the quality of the
policy first, and you can then narrow down your final selections based on
price. This is the best approach to take.
Statistics
show that the average auto insurance
premium is $148 per month or $1,711 per year.
There are a
number of different things that can drive the cost of your policy up, though.
For example, all of the following could drive your premium to a higher rate:
● Adding a teenage driver to your
policy
●
A DUI conviction
●
A lapse in coverage
● If you are at fault for a car crash
●
A speeding ticket
● If your credit score decreases from
good to poor
Now you
know more about the price of car insurance and why it is important to delve
deeper into the specifics of the policy, let’s reveal why investing in good car
insurance will always pay off.
There is
only one place to begin, and this is with the fact that you simply never know
what is around the corner. You could end up in a car crash because someone was
using their mobile phone and crashed into you. This is unfortunate. It’s not
your fault. But there is nothing you can do about it.
This is why
it is imperative to make sure that you choose a good car insurance policy so that you are covered for
those moments that are out of your control. You
will be able to raise a claim and benefit from a simple payout process so that
you can end up back on the road quickly and efficiently. If you have a poor
quality policy, you may have to go through a whole host of obstacles to get the
money that is rightly yours.
If you make
a claim on your insurance plan, your premiums will go up. That’s the way it
works. It can seem very unfair, especially if you were not to blame for what
happened. However, the best insurance companies offer a way around this.
They will
provide you with a protected no-claims discount. This means that even
if you make a claim, your no-claims status will be protected. So, when
you go to renew your car insurance, you are not going to be met with a sharp
increase purely because you have made a claim. Instead, you can keep your
no-claims status alive.
You will
find that you typically have to pay a small amount to add no-claims protection
to your auto insurance. However, it is definitely worth it.
If you are
involved in an accident or someone has stolen your vehicle, not only is it
worrying but it is very inconvenient. This is especially the case for
commercial vehicles, which are used on a daily basis for business purposes.
The best
insurance providers look to ease the burden as much as possible. If
your vehicle is out of action for any reason relating to your policy, the
insurance provider will give you an alternative vehicle so that you can keep
mobile while you are without your own car.
Depending
on the insurance provider you choose, there are a number of different ways that
this can be added to your policy. For example, it can be included as a standard
or you can have the option of adding it, so make sure you always check out the
terms and conditions.
In a lot of
cases, you may only get a courtesy vehicle if your car is currently in the
garage receiving repair services.
Some
companies will also limit your use of a courtesy car to a certain number of
days, for instance, up to 28 days. Again, this is something that differs from
provider to provider.
You should
also find
out whether a ‘total loss courtesy car’ is included. This means you are
provided with a courtesy car if your vehicle has been
damaged beyond
economical repair or stolen.
Another
reason why it pays to invest in good auto insurance is that help will always
be available to you. The best auto insurance providers offer an emergency helpline as a
standard. After all, you never know when you might need assistance.
You can
also expect other contact options from the best providers, such as email
support and live chat.
Finally,
the best car insurance policies go above and beyond to make sure you experience
value for money.
Some ‘nice
to have’ features that may be included are:
●
Breakdown cover
● Legal assistance for recovering
out-of-pocket expenses and personal injury claims
●
Hotel expenses
●
Accident transport from the scene
● Cover for satellite navigation and
stereo equipment
● New car replacement if your vehicle
is damaged beyond repair or stolen and not recovered (check how much you get,
for example, this is typically 60% of the list price with most providers)
When taking
out a car insurance plan, it is all about balance. A
lot of people will look at add as many features as possible and they will
increase their excess so that their premiums are still affordable. While this
may seem good on the surface, you can find yourself in a bit of a pickle if you
need to make a claim.
If the time
comes to claim and you cannot afford to pay the excess, you are going to find
yourself in a bit of a deadlock, with no means to get the ball rolling.
Remember, you must pay the excess for the insurance provider to pay the rest of
the money required.
On the flip
side, other people look for the cheapest policies, i.e. the lowest premiums and
the lowest possible excess. However, you need to be mindful that you are not
missing out on essential features when doing this.
There is no
point in having a car insurance policy in place if it does not cover all of the
things you need. You may only be paying a small amount every month, but you’re
essentially wasting money if the insurance provider is not going to pay out in
most situations.
As you can
see, it certainly pays to take the time to find an auto insurance policy that
is right for you and gives you confidence.
The last
thing you want is to find yourself in a situation where you need to make a
claim and there is no help available to you and the insurer is doing everything
in their power to avoid paying out.
This is why
it makes sense to take the time and effort to find the perfect auto insurance
policy for you so that you do not run into issues and hurdles later down the
line.
Author bio (if needed):
Kerry Leigh Harrison has over 11+ years of experience as
a content writer. She graduated from university with a First Class Hons Degree
in Multimedia Journalism. In her spare time, she enjoys attending sports and
music events.