Redlands Car Insurance

Have you ever seen someone attempting to drive while eating, talking on a hands-free device, and changing the radio station? Are you guilty? In the worst possible scenario, these habits could result in life-altering or life-ending injuries to yourself or a third party.

According to a 2014 survey, 36 percent of the population in California agreed that cell phones are the greatest threat on the road. Almost 50 percent of the participants in the survey cited texting while driving as the worst offense.

In the same survey, 70 percent agreed that talking on hands-free devices is safe. However, in reality, these devices distract drivers just as cell phones do.

In 2012, distraction-related accidents injured 421,000 people, and killed another 3,328. Those statistics are staggering for preventable accidents.

With statistics such as these, auto insurance is essential. However, shopping for auto insurance can oftentimes be stressful. Use the guide below to learn what you need to know about auto insurance so that you can choose the policy that is right for you.

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What is 15/30/5?

The minimum legal amount of insurance required to drive a passenger car, truck, or SUV in California is $30,000 per accident in bodily injury liability, $15,000 per person in bodily injury liability, and $5,000 per accident in property damage liability.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) requires either proof of insurance, a $35,000 deposit with the DMV, or proof of self-insurance to maintain one's status as a legal driver.

Determining Reasonable Insurance Coverage

There are different aspects of insurance that protect the various parts of your life, your car, the life of anyone whom you injure, and the property of a third party. The following are the different types of auto insurance that exist:

1. Collision coverage
2. Comprehensive coverage
3. Bodily injury liability
4. Property damage liability
5. Uninsured/underinsured motorist protection for bodily injury
6. Uninsured/underinsured motorist protection for property damage

Collision and comprehensive coverages are controversial. Some individuals prefer to drop their insurance once a car's value is lower than the deductible and the cost to insure.

However, others prefer to maintain their auto insurance, even if a car's book value is low. Otherwise, you would have to pay for any damages to your car regardless of its actual cash value.

If you have insurance, you would be required to pay the deductible, but your insurance policy would cover any costs after the deductible. So, despite the value of your car, auto insurance is important for protecting your financial assets.

There are two types of liability insurance:

• Comprehensive – Comprehensive covers any damages to your car due to fire, theft, vandalism, animals, or flooding.
• Collision – Collision pays to repair or replace your car in the event of an accident. Collision includes accident involving another car or a stationary object, such as a tree or light pole.

Unfortunately, uninsured and underinsured motorists are a very real problem. If you are hit by an uninsured or underinsured motorist, it is likely that you will not receive payment for any of the damages that you sustain.

Consequently, uninsured and underinsured motorist protection is crucial. The limits of this type of coverage are included in your liability limits. If you want greater protection, you must buy more liability coverage.

Expensive Consequences

With an increase in gas prices and economic downturns, many people participate in rideshare programs or private business in which an individual is paid to drive another person.

To many, these programs seem harmless. However, most insurance companies disagree. As these programs become increasingly popular, insurers have begun adding restrictions to their clients' policies in order to counter the legal issues involving rideshare programs.

These restrictions are largely due to the possibility that your passenger may sue you for damages if they are harmed while riding in your car. To protect against this possibility, your insurance company may cancel your policy or suspend coverage on your bodily injury liability, for example.

If your policy is canceled, finding insurance in the future may be difficult for you. Before you agree to participate in a rideshare program, research the restrictions surrounding the programs and have an attorney review your auto insurance policy.

In addition to being extremely dangerous for yourself and others on the road, driving under the influence can lead to increased auto insurance rates. If you are caught while driving under the influence, your insurance company will likely raise your premium in order to protect themselves against your irresponsible behavior.

Additionally, the cost of a DUI attorney, state-mandated DUI coursework and counseling, and fines issued by insurance and state agencies is well over $20,000 dollars. In order to save lives and protect your finances, act responsibly and do not drive while under the influence.

Now that you have an understanding of the auto insurance requirements in Redlands, you can shop for a policy with confidence. The smartest way to shop for auto insurance is to comparison shop. Use an online price comparison tool to get quotes instantly.

Start comparing auto insurance rates now using the FREE comparison tool below!