We have three cars at home and only my car is insured, my wife’s and son’s cars are not insured. My wife keep telling me that her car should also be insured together with my son’s car, she says it’s really important to get it insured. Why should one’s car get insured here in Washington?

Todd

Everett, WA

Washington requires all the cars on the road should be insured before getting it on the road. If you have escaped yourself from this requirement, you will not be able to escape yourself from a huge disaster when you got yourself in an accident. Car Insurance is just like having a savings account that you can get in case of emergencies on the road.

Car insurance is just as important as the homeowner’s insurance for with a Car Insurance with you on the road, it will help you survive, not from death or physical injury but at least you will be saved from financial problems in case you got yourself in an accident. Car Insurance doesn’t only cover you in case of accident but also the other party. Car insurance is not supposed to be expensive for the state has set a minimum requirement but this might not be able to get everything covered if you had a major accident. Just imagine yourself getting a car accident which is your fault and the other party is not insured, though it is breaking the law if you don’t get yourself insured, you still need to have both of your mishaps covered. This is how car insurance protects you, not only you but also the other party that makes it really important.

Is it true that my car insurance provider here in Washington can increase my auto insurance rates during winter?

Claude

Bellingham, WA
It is quite possible for your auto insurance provider there in Washington to increase your rates during the winter season. And you can’t really blame them, winter is a very perilous time to be on the road. The likelihood of getting involved in a car crashes due too icy, slippery roads, poor visibility due to fog or snowstorms and the freezing temperature causing havoc to your vehicles machinery, and even the danger of getting hit by frozen tree limbs and other kinds of falling debris. All these factors significantly increases your chances of filing a claim with your insurance provider, thus making this season a “high-risk” season, and hence the higher auto insurance rates.

It is not that difficult to prepare your vehicle for the winter, though. What you would want to avoid is to file for a claim, since this really a major reason for your insurance rates to increase. Here are some tip’s on how to prepare driving for the winter season:

1. Pre-Winter Checkup – Do take your car to a trusted auto mechanic and have them check your vehicles level of anti-freeze, transmission and brake fluids as well as its heater and defrosting system.
2. Drive with Discretion – If the weather is really bad, refrain from going out.
3. Use major roads – Stick to major roads and highways that are well plowed from snow so less chances of accidents.
4. Prepare for emergencies – have flashlights, blankets, stored food & water and emergency towing numbers handy.

My rates has recently been increased by my car insurance provider here in Washington. I’m wondering if my recent traffic violation got anything to do with it. Can you tell me what factors can affect my insurance rates?

Jeffrey

Seattle, WA

It is quite possible that the added traffic violation ticket against your driving record there in Washington may very well caused your increased auto insurance rates. It really depends on how many violations you’ve had before and how the latest violation could have tipped your record off into a “high-risk” driver. There are other factors to consider whenever an auto insurance provider evaluates, or re-evaluates your record. It is quite possible that falling within a certain age group, such as becoming a senior citizen, could have also caused your insurance to increase. Elderly drivers, along with teenagers, are also considered to be high-risk drivers and therefore the cost of insurance for them is high as well.

Your credit history also has an impact on how your car insurance premiums come out. Simply put, a bad credit rating shows your not able to handle your finances or bills well and this will be taken by insurance companies as an indication of how good you take care of everything else, including how safe you are while driving on the road. It is important to realize that the major reason your car insurance provider will raise their premiums is due to an event or something that you may have done that puts you at a higher probability of filing a claim. The added premium compensates for the added risk the company is taking to insure you and your vehicle.

I’m looking to buy a second car for my town house here in Everett, Washington and I wanted to know what attributed of a vehicle would affect its insurance rates?

Myers

Everett, WA

The kind of vehicle you have, make and model, coupled with the location where you live, your age and driving record will have a big impact on how your car insurance rates will come out. But let’s focus just on the things in your car that can affect your insurance rates there in Everett, Washington:

Make and Model
whoever you choose to buy a car from and the particular model you choose, are all part of a rating system that an auto insurance company will look into as part of the process of determining your rates. They will look into statistical data from sources such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showing the likeliness or frequency of this manufacturer’s vehicle getting involved in car accidents. This spans years of accumulated data and information, giving insurance companies valuable information in their end to compute insurance rates.

Car Theft
If you have a top of the line vehicle, it will be more prone to car theft and vandalism as compared to an older model. Since car insurance companies insure the financial worth of your vehicle a newer, more expensive kind or model of vehicle will translate into higher insurance premiums.

Safety Features
Finally, the safer and more secure your car is from accidents and theft(installing anti-lock breaks, for example) the better your chances of getting lower insurance rates.

I am not satisfied with the service I get from my current insurance company here in East Seattle, Washington. My auto insurance and other coverage are ending soon so I’ll just cancel my policies altogether. If I don’t pay anything after the end of the coverage, it means that my insurance is canceled, right?

Bo

East Seattle, WA

You could opt to cancel your automobile insurance policy for several causes, and dissatisfaction is one of them. Be careful, though, that if you don’t give enough notification to your insurance provider, you may spend more or worse, it could have an effect on your credit rating. It has been a tradition for the majority of insurance providers to let their customers drop their policy at any time in the course of the policy term. All they need to do is to send a written notification that includes the exact date of termination.

Your auto insurance policy in East Seattle, Washington would not automatically be cancelled at the end of the coverage, so don’t assume that you could drop your policy by taking for granted the next bill. In case you don’t send them a notification that you’re terminating your policy, they would consequently send you a bill in advance for the following policy term’s premium payment. If you ignore it, they would drop your policy and it would go against your credit history. These details are not clearly explained in your policy; auto insurance providers always tell us that we can cancel our policies at the end of the coverage by not paying the next premium, but they never tell us about the consequences for not giving them any notification.

I’ve been hearing stories going around here in Washington of people being victimized in car insurance scams. How do I recognize this and is there anything I can do to protect myself?

Bertrand

Kent, WA

Car insurance scams have become a very serious matter today. Not only do car insurance scammers make a living out of conning people, costing them their car and their money while putting their livelihood and even lives in great danger. The more you become aware of how these people operate their scams and fraud business the better prepared you’ll be to recognize this, avoid it and protecting yourself from ending up in a hospital, with violations against your driving records, an escalated insurance rate and a badly damaged vehicle.

Scammers are very creative; they can stage a car accident and make it look genuine, without you knowing you’re already an unwilling participant. There’s a scam that will involve a car accident with another vehicle that would look really damaged, hence the higher payout for them, but what you won’t know is that the said car has already been inflicted with damage before the staged accident takes place.

There are also those who will cause you to have a rear-end crash, making it look like it’s your fault, either by suddenly breaking in front of you so you won’t have enough time to stop or weave you into the path of another accomplice vehicle, causing you to collide with it.

It is important that you take the necessary steps in preparing for these scenarios. The best way would be to enroll in accredited defensive driving schools there in Kent, Washington. These classes will educate you on how to avoid being a victim of car insurance fraud and also has the added perk of qualifying you for discounts with your car insurance for being a safer driver.

I have an older car model which is already used when I purchased it and I think that I pay too much for my car insurance here in Washington. Does the age and value of the car have a bearing on my car insurance rates?

Talan

Enumclaw Plateau, WA

Yes, of course, the age and value of the car that you drive have an influence on the premiums of your car insurance in Enumclaw Plateau, Washington. Since you purchased a used and older car model, its value might be lower than on its better days. In this case, you don’t need to pay for very expensive car insurance and you may consider dropping your comprehensive coverage.

One good suggestion that is wise to follow is to multiply your car insurance rates by 10 and compare it with the value of your car. So if for instance you are paying $1000 for your auto insurance and your vehicle is worth less than $10,000, you may want to weigh over if comprehensive coverage represents good value.

If you cancel your collision coverage and/or comprehensive coverage, you may be able to get a lot of savings on your car insurance. Also, think about it real hard that the whole idea of having a used and older car model is to save you a lot of money.