You will need to look deeper than the surface to find affordable car insurance. It is important to find out what the minimum requirements are in your state. This will help you determine whether this amount covers your vehicle coverage. If they are not, the variables can change greatly when comparing rates between providers. Let’s look at how these variables affect car insurance rates.
California Facts about Car Insurance
Here are the numbers if you believe you do not need as much liability coverage as the State of California requires. Bodily injury liability coverage is $15,000 per person for death or injury, and $30,000 for an accident. Property Damage Liability requires that you have $5,000 per accident. California law requires that your liability coverage covers damages up to the following amounts in case you are involved in an automobile accident.
Other types of coverage are not required by the state, such as collision, uninsured motorist or underinsured driver, collision, medical payments and comprehensive, towing, and so forth. If you owe money on your vehicle, your lender may require collision. Collision is the coverage that covers damage to your vehicle, whether you are involved in an accident involving one or more cars. The amount of your coverage must not exceed the automobile’s value if you owe money. This will ensure that the lender receives the entire amount (or close) of the loan amount back in the event of an accident.
To be safe, you might consider purchasing more coverage. Although not required by California law to have comprehensive coverage, it will give you total peace of mind and cover any unusual events that could cause damage to your car. These include hail stones, hail, wind damage, flooding, hail, flying rocks (broken windshield), theft, vandalism, and highway encounters between animals like deer, bears or cows. This type of coverage will cost you more, but you can rest assured that these occurrences are covered.
Statistics from San Jose for the Road
When you are looking for affordable car insurance in San Jose CA, keep in mind that many insurance companies use statistics from the city and state to determine their risk factors. These statistics include information about accidents, thefts, commute distances, and average ages of drivers. These statistics are also considered by providers. They help determine which cars will have the lowest number of fatalities or serious injuries. In 2007, 44 automobile accidents that resulted in death were reported in San Jose. These accidents involved 111 victims and 65 vehicles. In the same year, San Jose saw 6,413 car thefts. The most stolen cars in 2008 were the Honda Accord, 1994 Acura Integra and the Toyota Corolla.
Online research is possible for both state and local statistics. You can find a lot of information at the Department of Insurance’s website. Statisticians have an impact on insurance. However, they can give you an idea about what insurance companies consider high- or low-risk. If you are looking to purchase a vehicle, avoid people who are on the most theft list. Consider locking your vehicle in a garage or adding an alarm and security system to protect it at night. A car that is top-rated in safety and has the most recent features should be purchased.