Are you moving in the near future? Moving is part of life and it requires people to undergo many unwanted tasks to get settled in their new location. Packing, traveling, etc are all part of moving. However, do not forget when you move that you need to get a new insurance policy or at least update your address with your current insurance company.

Why is it so important to update your information for insurance purposes? Couldn’t you technically keep your old policy? Unfortunately, no. One of the biggest reasons you need to update your personal information with your insurance company is because states vary on their insurance requirements. Every state has a different minimum requirement for personal property damage and bodily injury liability. Therefore, these numbers will definitely change when you move locations.

Also, insurance companies also consider certain areas more risky to drive in. And, although you might think this is unfair, it is true. You are more at risk of getting in an accident if you drive in high traffic areas than if you drive in areas where there are only one-lane highways.

Wherever you live, make sure that you have the minimum requirements so that you are no driving without proper insurance.

One of the greatest things about today’s society is the excessive amount of options available to the consumer. It is quite possible to find what you are looking for on a given day based on your needs. And, because we as consumers have varying expectations, those in the retail industry are smart and offer us many choices to better meet everyone’s needs. This principle applies wholeheartedly to car insurance.

The right car insurance is different for everyone. It varies by State, City, personal driving record, vehicles on your policy. Someone with two trucks in Lincoln City, Nebraska will have completely different concerns than someone with one car in New York City. Although the state mandates a specific requirement, you may prefer more coverage to better protect yourself and your vehicle. Typically the state’s minimum requirement is liability insurance, which only protects harm you might cause others in an accident. This type of coverage is often suitable for older vehicles. However, for a newer vehicle, it is often nice to know that your car is protected in an accident as well. This type of protection is called collision coverage.

Additionally, you will also have the option of choosing the amount of deductible that you want to pay in case of an accident. And, you can pay for other options such as uninsured motorist coverage, theft, etc. Talk to an agent today and discuss your car insurance needs.

Texas has the absolute highest DUI ratings. This is not averaged by population but just by DUI convictions. This is of note since Texas has about two thirds the population of California. Texas had the opportunity to not only have sobriety checkpoints and to mandate ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, however they did not implement it.

California is high up on the list of DUI ratings, they had a chance to control that by voting positively on a bill requiring ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk rivers, unfortunately this bill did not pass and California will continue to rank highly in a very undesirable list.

South Carolina has stayed consistently on the top five DUI states, a dubious honor I’m sure the state would rather not have. South Carolina is known for having the worse drunk driving laws in the country and the ones in place are for the most part ineffectual. It seems defense attorneys in the legislature defeat any reform to the current laws. North Carolina rates in the lowest occurances.

Wisconsin actually had their DUI fatalities increase over the last year, that is no surprise when the first offense for drunk driving is met with a simple civil infraction. As long as the state treats this problem with frivolous laws, they will remain on this list and may in all likelihood climb up into higher positions.

Montana rounds out the top five, though Montana’s DUI rates have dropped down over the years, it is still within the top five worst states for DUI.

If you drive, you’ll want to be insured and in some states, it is compulsory. Before you choose your auto insurance provider, you should be knowledgeable in what the coverage is. Some things that are included in one policy might be an option in another and the sales representative isn’t likely to point that out to you. Once such item is uninsured motorist, if you pick a policy that doesn’t have this and you don’t know it’s on the options list, you will badly miss it if you are hit by an uninsured driver.

With that said, there are many things that will affect your insurance rates, some of them you have control over and others you may not. Your location and zip code has an affect on your coverage cost before any personal statistics come into affect (due to accident statistics for the area and the propensity for certain natural disasters). It is a common misconception that if you don’t get a ticket, it doesn’t go on your record. If you get multiple warnings for speeding, it may not affect your current policy, however if you look to move to a different provider they may come into play.

Getting married can have a positive affect on your policy costs, provided your spouse also has a good driving record, being married shows acceptance of responsibility. Having children should not affect your insurance rates until they become driving age.

If you have made multiple claims, be they for accidents, vandalism or theft, your insurance rates will increase. If your credit score is low, insurance companies will use this as a reason to raise your rates, considering it irresponsibility.

The SR22 is a form filed with the state of California by an insurance company at the request of the insured. This form is a requirement of the state when a driver is cited not having the appropriate insurance as required by law. Basically if a policy should expire, cancel or not renew for any reason and is not immediately replaced with no time lapse, an SR22 has to be filed with the state showing the driver currently covered by insurance. This type of form can also be required for other traffic violations such as driving under the influence or other serious violations that involve negligence or serious life endangerment.

California has long been known for inflated premiums in comparison to many other states. As an example, insurance companies based their rates on zip codes, having a large variation for the same driver in different zip codes. The SR-22 is no different, The if you were unfortunate enough to let your insurance lapse and needed an SR-22, then you have experienced the long years of higher premiums coupled with the fact that your insurance company has not only the ability but the responsibility of informing the state if you lapse at any time for any length of time on your premiums.

If your need for the SR-22 is based on DUIs or another major infraction, you can expect to pay even more and in this case you might need to go to a company that specializes in SR-22 insurance.

States do have their minimum amount requirement for insurance, however; that amount is generally considered insufficient to cover realistic damages that occur in an accident, both bodily injury and property damage. Insurance companies are more inclined to suggest more complete coverage of 100/300/100. meaning; 100,000, 300,000 and 100,000.

Injury treatment tends to be very similar in cost throughout the states, as such, you will want to take more into consideration your driving habits and record when procuring your automobile insurance. If you are in an area where property damage could easily overrun your limits, you may want to reconsider your limits so you can be sure you are fully covered (for instance in some areas, landscape alone could have a value over your limit). You will also want to take into consideration your own ability to cover any of the bodily injury or property damage overages that might occur.

When you are considering your coverage amounts, you will also want to be sure you are covered for uninsured motorist. Some policies automatically contain it and others don’t, this will help in determination as to which policy best fits all of your needs.

Some companies offer accident forgiveness, this feature can add more to your coverage cost, but if you seem to be somewhat prone to accidents, this may be a very viable coverage option for you. Another thing to prepare for and look into if you have children is the ‘good student’ discount. If your son or daughter has a ‘B’ or above average, you may get anywhere between a five and twenty-five percent discount, just another good reason to support your child in school.

These days, automobile insurance has become not just a necessity, but a requirement. All states have different requirements and you need to understand what you’re looking at before you can make an informed decision on the insurance company you wish to contract with.

The first number is the maximum amount of coverage your insurance company is giving you for bodily injury for one person injured in an accident (these are all in thousands). The second number is the maximum coverage for bodily injury for one accident. The third number is the maximum amount of property damage inflicted in one accident.

For example, in the state of California, required insurance coverage is 15/30/5, this means $15,000.00 bodily injury per person, $30,000.00 total bodily injury and $5,000.00 total property damage.

You’ll also want to make sure that you are covered for uninsured motorists, some policies automatically have it and some don’t.

Alaska 50/100/25
Alabama 20/40/10
Arkansas 25/50/15
Arizona 15/30/10
California 15/30/5
Colorado 25/50/15
Colorado 25/50/15
Connecticut 20/40/10
Delaware 15/30/5
Florida 10/20/10
Georgia 15/30/10
Hawaii 20/40/10
Idaho 20/50/15
Illinois 20/40/15
Indiana 25/50/10
Iowa 20/40/15
Kansas 25/50/10
Kentucky 25/50/10
Louisiana 10/20/10
Maine 50/100/25
Maryland 20/40/10
Massachusetts 20/40/5
Michigan 20/40/10
Minnesota 30/60/10
Mississippi 25/50/25
Missouri 25/50/10
Montana 25/50/10
Nebraska 25/50/25
New Hampshire 25/50/25
New Jersey 15/30/5
New Mexico 25/50/10
Nevada 15/30/10
New York 25/50/10
North Carolina 30/60/25
North Dakota 25/50/25
Ohio 12.5/25/7.5
Oklahoma 10/20/10
Oregon 25/50/10
Pennsylvania 15/30/5
Rhode Island 25/50/25
South Carolina 15/30/10
South Dakota 25/50/25
Tennessee 25/50/10
Texas 20/40/15
Utah 25/65/15
Virginia 25/50/20
Vermont 25/50/10
Washington 25/50/10
Wisconsin 25/50/10
West Virginia 20/40/10
Wyoming 25/50/20

Driving enthusiasts all have opinions concerning the best and worst parts of the country in which to drive. Based on a few subjective criteria, here is what people are saying about the best places in the U.S. To hit the road.

As far as actual drivers, Oregon seems to be ranked as having the most courteous and law-abiding drivers, while Florida pulls up at the rear as being the most aggressive and impolite. This could be due to the high population of elderly and college-aged residents who either aren’t as aware of their surroundings or who just don’t care if they are cutting off a fellow highway traveler.

Terrain definitely plays a role, and if you like hills then Colorado is your state. Mountainous roads are frequent and climbs can be steep, so carry extra oil and watch for overheating in the summer months. Louisiana is the flattest geographically, so if a flat drone is more your style, you’ll love driving through the bayous and quaint cities.

As far as traffic is concerned, it might be best to know the worst cities to drive in. The most traffic-congested cities seem to be Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Dallas, and San Francisco. If horn-honking and crawling speeds are not your thing, avoiding these cities would be wise. Otherwise, enjoy the Sunday jaunt of your choice and remember to afford other drivers the same courtesies you would like them to extend to you as you conquer America’s highways!

Automobile insurance has become a major expense in most American households, with rates dependent on everything from an individual’s driving history, their credit score, to their geographic location. Though it may be expensive, it is the law that every driver on the road have a minimum of liability insurance. So where is it the most expensive to obtain auto insurance?

Well, for the years 2004-2006 insurance expense remained consistently the highest in the same ten states. Most recently, Washington D.C. And New Jersey have traded off in first place as the most expensive, and Connecticut and Nevada took turns in ninth and tenth places. In between, in third through eighth places, were Louisiana, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Delaware. In 2004, Michigan brought up the rear as the tenth most expensive, but otherwise Michigan does not appear in the top ten.

What does this mean for the average consumer? Drivers are certainly not going to choose their state of residence based solely on auto insurance rates, but if you live on the borderline and don’t mind moving, there could be benefits for you. Will consumers be willing to relocate in order to save a few hundred dollars on their insurance rates every year? Probably not. But if you do NOT currently reside in one of the higher cost states, you might want to check your insurance budget before moving to one!

Think twice before answering that cell phone if it rings while you’re driving! Many states now enforce restrictions on cell phone use while you are operating a motor vehicle. You should know the laws in your state in order to avoid being sanctioned for unlawfully using your cell phone, or worse yet, causing an accident during a moment of inattentiveness while chatting on the phone.

Now, not every state has the same laws. Only five states ban the use of handheld cell phones altogether while driving, Washington, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York. Of these, Washington law only allows a patrolman to issue a citation for cell phone use as a secondary offense. This means that they cannot cite you ONLY for using your cell phone, but must have pulled you over for another citable reason first. The other four states can cite cell phone usage as a primary offense, and the tickets are costly.

Many drivers get around the cell phone bans by simply using a hands-free phone device that allows them to talk on the phone while keeping both hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, which is the intent of the laws restricting phone use. Of course, this does not allow for text-messaging, but does allow conversations that could otherwise result in a traffic fine. If you are going to use your cell phone while driving, this hands-free option may be the best in regards to both safety and avoiding expensive traffic violations.