Why is Car Insurance Mandatory?

by | Sep 10, 2018 | Auto Insurance

Have you ever stopped to wonder why car insurance is mandatory, but other types of insurance, such as health care, are not? In the United States of America, all states require some form or car insurance except New Hampshire, which is the only state that does not require it.

Car insurance is mandated at the state level, so this allows each individual state to determine the regulation. States acting as individual powers can place any mandate they see fit on their residents, as long as it is not in violation of the restrictions placed on states in the constitution. Due to plenary power, states have more power to mandate necessary insurance policies than the federal government does. This may leave you wondering why 49 out of 50 states have chosen to mandate car insurance for their residents. There is no straight answer since it varies from state to state, but there are overarching benefits of mandating some type of car insurance, specifically liability insurance, for drivers.

As you’re most likely well aware, driving can be dangerous. It’s not something we want to think about when we’re out on the road, but it is a fact of life. We are human, and humans make mistakes. Making certain mistakes behind the wheel can be costly, and even potentially deadly. Picture the following situation. You’re driving along the road on the way to a nice dinner with friends and suddenly a driver rear ends you going 50 MPH. It smashes in the whole back end of your car in, totaling your car, and you get injured, causing you to need to go to the chiropractor. If the person who hit you didn’t have liability insurance, you’d probably be pretty upset. This is why most states mandate it. The benefits of mandating liability car insurance outweigh the costs.

What Does Comprehensive Car Insurance Cover?

by | May 11, 2018 | Auto Insurance

When you’re exploring different types of car insurance, you might be wondering what comprehensive car insurance covers. Depending on the exact insurance plan, it might be different, but there are many commonalities of comprehensive car insurance. This type of insurance helps you to repair or replace your vehicle if it is stolen or damaged in an accident that isn’t a collision. Comprehensive car insurance does not cover damage done to your car by any sort of driver-caused incident, whether it’s your fault or not. Some of the common things that comprehensive car insurance covers are theft, vandalization, natural disaster damage, fire damage, falling object damage such as a rockslide, animal-induced damage, and damage caused by other people in the case of an event like a protest or riot. Comprehensive car insurance does not cover damage done to your vehicle by you or another driver, medical expenses for any parties involved, or damage done to another person’s car. This type of car insurance is typically required if you are leasing a vehicle, otherwise it is optional. When trying to decide if comprehensive car insurance is right for you, there are a few factors you will want to consider. If your car is older and not worth much, then you probably don’t need comprehensive car insurance, because what you end up paying will likely outweigh the benefits. However, if your car is newer or more expensive, you might want to look into comprehensive car insurance because the benefit of being able to have your car repaired in the case of one of the situations described above is worth the monthly payment and premium you might have to pay. Collision coverage insurance is more popular, but these two insurance types can be used together to give you the most full coverage of your vehicle. If you are unsure if comprehensive car insurance is right for you, you can always get quotes from different companies and ask an agent to help you decide. When you’re exploring different types of car insurance, you might be wondering what comprehensive car insurance covers. Depending on the exact insurance plan, it might be different, but there are many commonalities of comprehensive car insurance. This type of insurance helps you to repair or replace your vehicle if it is stolen or damaged in an accident that isn’t a collision. Comprehensive car insurance does not cover damage done to your car by any sort of driver-caused incident, whether it’s your fault or not. Some of the common things that comprehensive car insurance covers are theft, vandalization, natural disaster damage, fire damage, falling object damage such as a rockslide, animal-induced damage, and damage caused by other people in the case of an event like a protest or riot. Comprehensive car insurance does not cover damage done to your vehicle by you or another driver, medical expenses for any parties involved, or damage done to another person’s car. This type of car insurance is typically required if you are leasing a vehicle, otherwise it is optional. When trying to decide if comprehensive car insurance is right for you, there are a few factors you will want to consider. If your car is older and not worth much, then you probably don’t need comprehensive car insurance, because what you end up paying will likely outweigh the benefits. However, if your car is newer or more expensive, you might want to look into comprehensive car insurance because the benefit of being able to have your car repaired in the case of one of the situations described above is worth the monthly payment and premium you might have to pay. Collision coverage insurance is more popular, but these two insurance types can be used together to give you the most full coverage of your vehicle. If you are unsure if comprehensive car insurance is right for you, you can always get quotes from different companies and ask an agent to help you decide.

Different Types of Vehicle Insurance

by | Mar 28, 2018 | Auto Insurance, Uncategorized

Getting in a car accident is something that no one ever wants to think about happening to them, but the reality is that there are around 20,000 car crashes in the United States every day. So, it’s important to have auto insurance to protect you, your passengers, and your automobile in any kind of accident that may occur while on the road. Having at least some type of liability coverage is mandatory in most states, but there are additional types of automobile insurance that will provide you with more coverage. Here are the different types of automobile insurance that you can get.

Liability Coverage

Liability coverage is the most basic form of auto insurance required in most states. It covers the other person’s bodily injuries and automobile if you are to cause an accident. However, it does not cover you or your vehicle.

Comprehensive Coverage

Comprehensive coverage helps to insure your car from things like theft, water damage, fire, natural disaster, and vandalism. If your car is damaged by one of these things comprehensive coverage can often help you pay to replace it. However, you will have to pay a deductible.

Collision Coverage

This is the coverage that will help you out if you’re involved in an accident with another vehicle or with an object such as a tree or light post. Typically, with collision coverage you are still required to pay a deductible, but the insurance will cover the rest of the cost of your damaged vehicle.

Medical Payments Coverage

This type of coverage is required in some states but optional in others. It covers the medical expenses of you and your passengers if you are to get in an accident.

Many insurance plans cover multiple aspects of these types of coverage. When shopping for auto insurance, be sure to ask questions and gain a good understanding about what insurance plan is right for you.

What Are the Different Types of Insurance?

What Are the Different Types of Insurance?

by | Feb 11, 2018 | Auto Insurance

There are many different types of insurance available to help you protect yourself, your loved ones, and your assets. Many people receive insurance benefits through their careers or choose to create a plan for themselves. One thing is for certain, life is unexpected and always chooses to throw curveballs in our direction. So, when that happens it’s best to be prepared and protected. With so many opportunities for insurance, it can be hard to know what is best for you and your family. The three main types of insurance that everyone should have are auto insurance, home insurance, and life insurance. All of these insurances are important and have unique benefits to protect you when something unexpected occurs.

Auto Insurance

When we get in our cars we often don’t think about the fact that we are getting into a powerful machine that has the ability to cause harm. However, the reality is that being in a car is even more dangerous than being on an airplane. According to the Association For Safe International Road Travel, approximately 1.3 million people die in car crashes yearly, and that doesn’t even account for those who get injured but survive. So let’s face it, even if you think you’re a better than the average driver, which most of us do, it’s still important to have car insurance to keep yourself protected against the other guy who might not be as swell a driver as you.

Home Insurance

Our homes are our lives, quite literally the place we lie our heads. They house all of our precious things and memories from years gone by. Home feels like our safe place, and most of the time it is, but things do happen, and in the event that a fire breaks out or you are robbed you will want to have home insurance to cover you.

Life Insurance

Hopefully, I shouldn’t have to tell you why your life is important, but I can tell you why having insurance for it is. If you have family members that you love and care about, life insurance makes sure that your loved ones will be taken care of and that they won’t have to worry about funeral or burial costs. Obviously, this isn’t a fun concept to think about. Buying life insurance can feel like you’re buying insurance expecting to die but one of the benefits to having life insurance is that it can supplement your retirement income through accumulation. That just means that you’ll have more money to enjoy while taking a cruise in your old age!

Insurance provides coverage and peace of mind for us for those “what the heck” moments in life. You don’t want to take a gamble with your car, your home or your life so it’s best to be protected and insured with these types of insurance.

Habits of Safe Drivers

by | Dec 11, 2017 | Auto Insurance, Blog

Being a safe driver is an important skill to learn because it can help to keep not only you safe but other people on the road as well. If you practice safe driving skills you are less likely to be in an accident and better equipped to handle stressful driving situations. These habits can help you to become a better, more prepared driver.

1.Keep Your Calm
With traffic conditions increasing it is easy to get road rage or lose patience with other drivers. You might want to make hasty decisions or weave in and out of traffic. However, driving angry can impair your judgment and cause you to drive recklessly.

2.Wear Your Seatbelt
It’s the first thing we’re taught as children when getting into the car. Always wear your seatbelt because it could one day save your life.

3.Use Your Turn Indicator
Your turn indicator, also known as a turn signal or blinker, is used to indicate to other drivers that you will be making a turn or lane change. Be sure to always use your turn indicator so other drivers are aware of what you’re about to do, and remember that just because you put your turn indicator on doesn’t mean that someone is going to let you over or that it is clear.

4.Stay Focused on Driving
There are more distractions in our lives than ever before. We have our cell phones, our smartwatches, cars that come with technological features, billboards, and maybe even passengers riding in your car. But, it’s important that you stay focused on the road and on the act of driving so that you don’t get into an accident.

5.Watch Your Speed
It can be tempting to speed if you’re in a hurry or have a long drive ahead of you, but speeding can cause unsafe driving conditions. When you’re driving at a higher speed it is harder to maintain control of your car and if you go speeding past other drivers it may startle them and cause them to lose focus. Keep your speed within the speed limit and use cruise control to keep yourself within the limit if necessary.

If you follow these habits, you’ll be a safer and better driver.

The Most Common Types of Car Crashes

by | Jul 27, 2017 | Auto Insurance, Blog

Over 2 million people die or are injured in car crashes every year, but we never think it will happen to us. We get in our cars and often don’t think twice about the potential danger we could be facing. No matter how safe of a driver you might be, you never know what could happen. Some types of car crashes happen more frequently than others and if you happen to be involved in a crash, you’ll be happy to have car insurance. Here are some of the most common types of crashes.

Rear-End Collisions

Getting “rear ended” is one of the most common types of crashes. It happens when someone isn’t paying attention or following too closely. Depending on the speed, these crashes usually aren’t fatal. They often happen in heavy, start/stop traffic and the best way to prevent them is being cautious and leaving an ample amount of space between you and the car in front of you.

T-Bone Crashes

These crashes happen in an intersection when two cars are going in different directions. They often occur when one car is running a red light, goes through a stop sign without properly stopping, or taking a misjudged turn into oncoming traffic. These crashes can be extremely dangerous. The best way to avoid them is by following traffic laws and driving carefully.

Single Vehicle Crashes

These can be one of the more dangerous types of car accidents and tend to happen at high speeds among younger drivers. They often result from taking a turn too fast, hydroplaning, or running off the road and hitting something.

Low-Speed Contact Collisions

Low-speed accidents often happen in places like parking lots where people are driving at low speeds but have a lot of obstacles to avoid while maneuvering their vehicle. These collisions are classified as any accident happening under 10mph and can still be dangerous despite their low speeds.

The best way to stay safe and avoid a car accident is by following all driving rules and paying close attention to the road. In the event that you are in an accident, you will want to be sure you have car insurance to cover any damage done to you or the other parties involved.