Learn What Drives Your Rate
It starts with you. Your application for a quote begins with basic questions about your age, sex, marital status, driving record, and the cars you drive. Why so many questions? Information about who you are helps an insurer predict how likely you are to have an accident. And, it allows insurers to offer you discounts that match your driving experience. For example, if you’re over 55, insurance companies must offer a discount for successful completion of a motor vehicle accident prevention course approved by the DMV.
Insurance carriers verify your driving record and claims history. The Commonwealth of Virginia law also allows insurers to use a credit-based insurance score as one factor in setting your rates. But, insurers may not discriminate on the basis of income, gender, address, zip code, ethnic group, race, color, religion, marital status or nationality.
Where You Live Matters
Virginia is #33, close to the bottom of the list for the cost of insurance. That’s the good news! But, in many Virginia cities, dangerous intersections, crowded freeways and vehicle thefts lead to higher rates. If you’re lucky enough to live in the country, there are usually fewer crashes and car thefts, so your rates are relatively lower than city rates. There’s not much you can do about where you live – but know that it makes a big difference in your rates.
What and Who You Protect
Almost 1 in 10 Virginia drivers do not have insurance. By law, you can renew your registration without insurance by paying the $500 UMV fee – which makes you “legal” on the road, but protects no one. So, to protect yourself and your passengers, you should always buy Uninsured & Underinsured Motorist coverage. Depending on the limits your buy, UM/UIM pays for injuries caused by an uninsured driver, while the property damage part of the coverage will even pay if your car is damaged by a hit-and-run driver, minus a $200 deductible.