How San Francisco Auto Insurance Got So Expensive
Posted in:
Auto Insurance Articles
By: Anthony M. Peck
Posted on: Feb 18, 2009 - 3:54:58 PM
Why You're Paying an Arm and a Leg for Your Auto Insurance Policy, and How You Can Beat the System
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Studies show that although the cost of auto insurance in San Francisco has slowly begun to fall, the average cost of a policy has risen 6-7% in the last three years-and is expected to continue rising now that the lowered cost of gas is bringing drivers back on the roads. That's a difference of $60-70 per year minimum that you could be using for something else. |
The good news is that you don't have to keep sacrificing your income and your freedom at the altar of auto insurance. There are ways to lower your premiums without sacrificing your coverage, and if you do it right you should be able to save up enough for that trip to Fiji you've been dreaming about!
So the question is, in a city ranked in the top ten list of America's most expensive insurance providers, how do you keep your insurance rates down to a number lower than the national deficit (which, like your auto insurance quotes, is growing by the year)?
1) Take a driver's education course. If you've ever been to court for a traffic ticket you know that you get "points" added or taken away depending on your driving record. It's like being in kindergarten again and having the teacher move your name into the yellow zone because you got in trouble. When you get into an accident you lose points. When you take a driver education course or go a certain number of years without being convicted of a traffic violation (Note: You have to be convicted for it to count) you get points added back on.
More points=lower insurance premiums.
2) Keep your record clean. Drive the speed limit and do your best not to cause an accident. Going five years or more without having any kind of conviction on your driving record will give you more points, which in turn lowers your auto insurance rates.
3) Drive a clunker. Seriously. Studies show that the older your car is, the less exotic the make and model are and the lower the resale value is, the less it's going to cost you to insure it. Most companies are happy to pay to replace a $2,000 junkmobile but cringe at the thought of totaling a $1.5 million Lamborghini.
4) If you're in school, stay on the honor roll and/or Dean's list. Auto insurance companies reward good grades, and it's a great way to avoid having to take the hit when you add your sixteen year old onto your policy (sort of).
5) Spend less time on the highways. When people are driving eighty miles an hour down the road or regularly find themselves stuck in bumper to bumper traffic and a swirling fog of road rage, there are going to be accidents. You can count on it. Spending less time on the highways, and driving fewer miles in general, minimizes your chances of being in an accident and lowers your auto insurance by default.
6) Shop around, and take advantage of every discount you can get your hands on! There are over 50 major national competitors in the auto insurance business and innumerable small providers, so shopping around will inevitably pay off. If nothing else, quoting a competitor's rate is usually enough to get them started in a healthy game of one-upmanship.
Cheap auto insurance in San Francisco isn't a myth, it's a reality, and with a little time and effort you can beat the system and find the auto insurance policy that gives you the coverage you need at a price you can afford.
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