Will Canada Speeding Ticket Affect My California Car Insurance?
Reader’s question:
I received a speeding ticket while driving my boyfriend’s car in Canada. is it still going to show up on my insurance if I pay it? I live in LA California.
Christina
Thank you for asking Christina.
Your home state California is part of the Driver’s License Compact or what is known as DLC that requires all of its member states including California to report or informed the member state of all the moving violations by their licensed motorist. Although Canada is not part of the DLC, California may have the same agreement as well.
California Vehicle Code , Provision 13363 states that the Department of Motor Vehicle can suspend the license upon the notice of conviction of a person in a state of territory, district of Columbia, Puerto Rico or the Dominion of Canada of an offense which if has been committed in state, would be grounds for suspension of the privilege to operate a vehicle.
This means that the the convictions in Canada will still be reported to the California Department of Motor Vehicle. You may contact the California DMV to verify if the speeding ticket has been transferred to them or if points has been assigned already. The point assigned for a speeding ticket in California is 1 point.
This however will not show up on your friends record nor affect her insurance rate.
Goodluck!
MariCAR
How Location Affects Car Insurance Rates in California
Reader’s Question:
Why did my car insurance premiums go up when I moved just ten miles east from San Diego California?
Mike
Good question Mike.
It seems like your zip code had changed and must have put you to a risk factor location according to your insurance company’s underwriting calculations.
There is an established guidelines, according to California Proposition 103, that was established in 1988, that determines your California auto insurance rates. He are the primary factors:
1. Your driving safety record
2. The number of miles driven annually
3. the number of years driving experience
There are other factors that can be used by the nsurance company to determine the individual’s premium.
The secondary factors are marital status, frequesncy, claims history, geographic area where your car is garaged, gender, type of the vehicle, etc.
Until now, insurance companies set rates for premiums based primarily on the zip code rather than the mandatory factors which is driving record, miles driven annually and the driving experience.
Make sure that you maintain a clean driving record within the next two years since this may change so that your rates will be based more upon your driving record than your zip code.
Goodluck!
MariCAR
Why Does Car Insurance Have To Cost So Much?
Nobody wants to think about car accidents, aside from trying to drive well and avoid them. However, sometimes things happen and you can’t avoid them, so having a car that will stand up well in a car accident will both protect you and get you a good car insurance rate for your collision premium. With more information coming to light about what makes a car safe, even the car insurance companies are trying to get changes in the law so that car manufacturers have to construct their cars in a safe way.
Changes in laws have played a big part over the years in making damages less serious and the incident of car accidents fewer. The passage of laws that require seat belt and air bags, lower the speed limits and outlaw drunk driving, have been pushed by the insurance companies, among others, and they are not doing the same with other measures.
And accidents are certainly good motivators to these insurance companies. According to the government’s information, the costs that car accidents had were about three hundred dollars for every single person in the United States, or almost two hundred and thirty one billion dollars. That’s billions of dollars in California alone, the most populous state in the entire country, right before Texas. It is also one of the states with the highest amount of uninsured drivers, so although the study didn’t specify, it probably has the highest amount of costs as well.
The National Highway Traffic Association already performs crash tests on cars, but they are trying to get more tests to be done and more available to consumers so that we can make the right decision when trying to buy a safe car. This government associations wants us to know how the cars we want actually drive and react in a crash. They also want the companies that make the cars to wise up and start making better ones and safer ones.
At the moment, having a safer car will save you money on your insurance, and will probably continue to do so, just like you are still able to get discounts for having air bags, which are mandatory. However, requiring more safety means that car prices will go up because cars will be more expensive to make.
Low Cost California Auto Insurance For Women Drivers
Across the big pond, in the United Kingdom, many companies have begun catering only to women. This takes what those who are in the auto insurance business already know one step further. However, as it turns out, this supposedly positive singling out might not be as great as most women over here think it is.
In California auto insurance as will as in British auto insurance, women have been found to get into fewer accidents and, therefore, file fewer claims. As a result, they are considered to be of lower risk. In auto insurance, the gap between the car insurance rates for males and females is at its greatest when the policy holders in question are younger than twenty five, but it continues with a smaller gap throughout the older ages.
In the UK, any companies have become women’s car insurance companies, claiming to offer better rates to women.
However, according to a British website that covers issues with auto insurance over there, looking at the quotes for women from these women only car insurance companies, the quotes from the women only companies tended to be seventy nine pounds, or around a hundred and sixty one dollars, more than the same women would be quoted with a regular car insurance provider.
It seems that having women get even more auto insurance is not all it’s cracked up to be, at least not the way their doing it in the UK. It also looks like women having more auto insurance than men may be a thing of the past. Statistics in recent years show the gap closing in terms of auto accidents, with men getting in fewer and women getting in more. Be careful what you wish for.
Car Insurance Companies Give Discounts For Defensive Driving Class
As most car insurance policy holders are aware of, the drivers around here are crazy. Aggressive and swerving little devils, it takes effort to not ram into them, on accident or on purpose (road rage). What many people who have been in accidents realize is that being able to compensate for the stupid driving habits of your fellows on the road can prevent a lot of pain, and not the least a insurance claim.
The way to find out how to avoid these crazy people is to sign up for a defensive driving course. Not only will you learn in one of these courses how to protect yourself on the road, but you will also avoid filing a car insurance claim, as well as being eligible for a insurance discount. Most car insurance companies do give discounts, both for defensive driving courses as well as regular introductory driver’s education courses.
Why take one?
- The National Insurance Safety Council says that almost eighty percent of car insurance accidents happen because the driver messed up in some way. If you learn how to drive defensively and responsibly, you can avoid being part of this statistic.
- If you have a speeding ticket, then you can go to defensive driving class and get it taken off of your driving record. That’s two drops in your Norwalk CA car insurance rates right there.
- The discounts on your Norwalk CA car insurance rates can be pretty high, ranging from five to ten percent. Normally, though, in order to get a discount, you have to take the class voluntarily.
Where do you take one?
- Classes for defensive driving are all over the place, but your Norwalk CA car insurance company will not recognize all of them. To find out which defensive driving school will get you a discount, ask your Norwalk CA car insurance agent or company representative.
- Make sure that the school you go to is authorized by the National Safety Council. You can check their website to make sure that your course is included.
Taking a defensive driving class can even be fun, and if you get your whole family involved, you should see how fast your Norwalk CA car insurance rates will dwindle.
Online California Auto Insurance For My Lemon Car?
If you want to get a good online California auto insurance quote for a lemon, then you have to keep track of what is going on with the lemon, because for the time that you have the car it will be considered a higher risk because its delicate state will make it more susceptible to damage in the case of a car accident. If you want to make sure you are not overcharged in your auto insurance quote for your lemon car, then you have to be able to prove why you should have a cheaper rate.
Here’s what you should keep track of:
- All of the information that you have from when you first bought the car. This includes that big envelope containing your contract and everything you signed which was given to you by the dealership. You should also have on hand anything about the warranty for your car, as well as whatever ads you saw, if possible, that alerted you to the sell of the vehicle.
- All of your registration stuff. You’ll need to be able to show with your online auto insurance quote in which state the car was registered when it was bought by you, and where it is registered now (California).
- Any documentation you have about repairs. Your online insurance quote about this will get the information from your CLUE report, but in order to get the best deal, you have to make sure that all of the repairs were done by the dealer or manufacturer with OEM parts. You should also make sure that any statements or bills that the repair shop releases should have your version of the damages, because a lot of times the car lots will sidestep lemon laws by playing with words.
- California auto insurance law requires you to tell the dealer that your car is a lemon, so you need to send a letter. Make sure you have a copy of this, as well as the response, and any other correspondence between you and the manufacturer. Also make sure that all letters are traceable, so that you can have proof that they arrived or not.
Which Vehicle Makes Are More Expensive To Insure?
Your car insurance premium should be on your mind before, during, and after you have bought your vehicle from the car lot. Before hand, you need to check quotes, during you need to make sure you choose the right car, and after you need to get your coverage from the best car insurance company.
When you are buying a car, you will need to get comprehensive and collision car insurance coverage, and the latter of those two coverage options is more expensive the more likely your car is to be vandalized or stolen. Every insurance company bases its premiums on its own claims records, and you will only be able to get an idea of what each company will charge you by getting instant online car insurance quotes. However, if you look at this list of most stolen cars on a nationwide basis, then you’ll also have an idea of what kind of car you should avoid. Some of them are unexpected.
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Toyota Camry
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Honda Accord
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Honda Civic
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Chevrolet Full Size C/K Pickup
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Ford F-150
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Jeep Cherokee
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Oldsmobile Cutlass
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Dodge Caravan
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Ford Taurus
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Toyota Corolla
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Chrysler Neon
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Nissan Sentra
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Chevrolet Caprice
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Ford Explorer
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Chevrolet Cavalier
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Chevrolet Blazer
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Plymouth Voyager
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Pontiac Grand Am
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Ford Escort
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Acura Integra
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Dodge Ram
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Nissan Maxima
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Ford Mustang
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Buick LeSabre
Surprisingly, my ugly old Oldsmobile is on that list, which goes to show that car thieves will steal anything. However, even if you aren’t going shopping and already own one of these oft stolen cars, you can still get a good car insurance quote by adding some extra protection to your car. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says that the best way to go in terms of protecting your car and getting a good comprehensive car insurance quote is to put your anti theft measures on in layers, instead of just equipping one anti theft device.
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First layer: Don’t be dumb.
Some people think that it’s okay to leave the car on and the key in the ignition if they’re just running into the store for a minute and will be able to see the car the entire time, but this is not much protection. I read a story recently about a woman that did this, and someone stole the car, which had her one year old in it, and only brought it back because he didn’t want to be charged for kidnapping. First of all, no, don’t use your kids as anti theft devices. But also don’t leave your keys in the car. By the time you notice someone is in your car and run out into the parking lot, the car will be gone.
You also should make sure that, if possible, you park in well lit areas where there are a lot of people. It’s better to go to the store to do your shopping when it’s busy rather than in the middle of the night.
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Layer two: The deterrent.
Now, even if you are practicing common sense, there is still a chance that your car will get stolen. While deterrents usually won’t get you a good insurance rate, they are still a necessary component in your layered protection.
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Alarms and sirens.
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Wheel or brake lock or collar
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Tire lock
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Decal
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Layer three: Disenablers.
If they have no fear of the deterrents and manage to get into the vehicle itself, this type of anti theft device will make sure they are unable to hotwire your vehicle, or at least have a very difficult time of it. This type of device will get you a car insurance discount with most companies.
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Kill switch
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Disablers
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Smart keys
If you want to get the best car insurance discount with this type of anti theft device, then you need to get an active one. An active anti theft device is always active, whereas a passive one has to be activated by you every time that you leave the car.
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Layer four: Finding it.
If the thief is especially persistent and experienced, and somehow manages to bypass all of the other protections on your vehicle, then you will need a way to get your car back. Most stolen cars are not recovered, and police have to act very fast to get to the car before it is taken to the chop shop or across the border.
A tracking device can help you make sure that your car is recovered. It sends a signal to police so that they can find the find the car.
What Affects your Car Insurance Premium
Most people in the U.S. are pretty busy with their lives, between family, friends, work, and sometimes school, that they don’t have the time to shop around for a new car insurance policy every six months. For these people, it is not any less necessary for them to get the best insurance premium, so if they must, they can restrict their shopping around to when they have a life changing event instead of doing it by the calendar.
- If you move.
In most of the country, zip codes can have a big effect on your auto insurance premium, but with car insurance the effect is not as huge thanks to a California auto insurance law passed to make the location a small factor in the auto insurance premium. The reason it is a factor at all is mostly due to the amount of cars stolen in the area, and the law was passed because the policy had a negative affect mostly on low income and minority drivers.
However, even though your zip code does not say as much for your insurance score as before, it does affect it. When you move to a new zip code, you need to shop around for a better car insurance premium. In any case, you should at least see a change in the premium from your current company.
- If you buy a car.
Before you buy a car, you should check the insurance quotes to make sure it is the best choice in make and model. However, if you’re already certain of what car you want to get, you should still shop around to see what the quotes are from other companies in the area.
Car insurance companies base their rates for collision and comprehensive car insurance coverage on the number of claims they have gotten for those coverages in company, so one company might have seen more claims for your car than another. It’s best to go with the company that has had the best history with your new vehicle, and you can find out which one this is by getting several insurance quotes.
- If you get hitched.
They say that when you get married, two people become one, so naturally they will have a different insurance rate together than they would apart. Men profit the most out of this, seeing their rates decrease a good deal when they tie the knot, but so long as neither partner is very high risk, both will benefit from the union.
- If you get a new job.
Not only do many insurance companies give you discounts on your car insurance for the degree that you hold, but you can also get one based on what you do. For example, if you are a teacher or an engineer or a military service member, then you can get a discount on your insurance premium.
- If you stop working altogether.
When you retire, you are usually just between being in the cheapest car insurance demographic, and one of the most expensive. Being between fifty five and seventy, you are in a group of the safest drivers and will thus get the lowest rates. However, after seventy, your rates will go up. Many car insurance companies offer discounts to retired people, but you can get the best deal by buying your insurance policy through AARP. Whatever the case, it is best to shop around.
- If you’re just fed up.
You may have a liked a car insurance company for awhile, and then just got sick of paying the high rates and finding few available discounts. While there is a limited number of excuses not to shop around, there’s certainly no limit to reasons to do so.
Cheap Southern California Auto Insurance Online
Reader question:
Is it possible to buy my Southern California auto insurance over the internet?
Ingrid
Thank you for asking, Ingrid.
One of the great introductions from the southern California auto insurance community to new technology has been the wide availability of southern California auto insurance policies on the internet. Most of the bigger southern California auto insurance companies have launched websites, where they allow their prospective customers to not only get quotes, but buy policies as well; and the service doesn’t end once you have your policy either. Many companies also offer account management for policy holders, so that you never have to pick up a phone or step into a southern California auto insurance office again.
Most companies which allow southern California auto insurance policies to be bought online can be divided into three types.
- Everything online.
Some of the more high tech southern California auto insurance companies offer everything online, including the final confirmation signature, which they accept electronically. This can be either from a simple typing of initals, or an actual signing function where you write out your name with your mouse.
- Halfway there.
Others will allow you to choose your car insurance coverage and policy and confirm everything, up until the point when you need to sign. While you are covered once you have completed the process, these southern California auto insurance companies will send you a form to your mailing address which you must sign and then return to them.
- Just a little bit.
The last type, which is more common among smaller southern California auto insurance companies, is where the companies will display the coverage information on their website, where the future policy holder can choose it and enter their information. Then, they will receive further information along with forms and request for payment in the mail, and they will not be covered until the payment is received. It’s actually cheaper to just go to the office with this one.
Cheers,
Fashun Guadarrama
Variance in Auto Insurance Rates in California
Progressive auto insurance company says that car insurance buyers would be able to save around five hundred dollars on their six month car insurance premium if only they shopped around for their prices. However, many don’t, which is why the majority of Americans and those who own insurance policies are paying too much for their car insurance.
Progressive said it got its information from a study of over seventy thousand customers over a six month period. The study relates the lowest car insurance rate possible versus the highest, and notes the gap (five hundred dollars in the case of car insurance). Depending on what state you are in, the degree of separation in dollars between the highest and the lowest car insurance premium can be more than many preferred car insurance pays in a year. In Houston, where I’m from, the variation is as much as $838 of variation for a six month policy.
Putting aside car insurance, some other areas in California had huge variances between auto insurance rates as well. Notable, San Francisco:
- $514 of variance
And Los Angeles:
- $616 of variance
Progressive went a little with its study and tried to see how aware California car insurance policy holders were of this rate variance. According to their findings, 65% didn’t realize that the variations between rates was so huge–most estimated it to be around one or two hundred dollars on average. And 60% of the people asked had not made an effort to shop around for a good insurance policy in several years.
Even if the company that you are with now had the best rates several years ago, that doesn’t mean that the same will be true today. New companies rise up and offer cheaper prices, and older companies find new ways to pass the savings on to their customers. The best thing to do to ensure that you get a cheap California car insurance quote is to shop around at least every six months.
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