The Top 5 Ways to Clean Up Your Act and Get Affordable Car Insurance
Your driving record may not be the sole reason you’re having difficulty landing affordable car insurance, but it’s certainly one of the most important car insurance factors. Sure, there are things you can do to cut down on your monthly bill—like having multiple car insurance, raising your deductible, and having an anti-theft system installed on your vehicle—but the way you conduct yourself behind the wheel carries a huge amount of weight in how much you pay in monthly premiums. The simple answer? Become a better driver. Here are the top 5 ways to go about doing that.
- Drive defensively. What this means is that every time you slip behind the wheel of your car, you have to stay alert to all of the potential dangers around you and avoid the mistake that many people make when they drive with tunnel vision. Defensive driving doesn’t just have to do with your decisions behind the wheel, but also involves anticipating the actions of the other cars on the road around you.
- Don’t let yourself be distracted. Distractions are the cause of more accidents than you’d care to think about, especially if you’ve been guilty of texting behind the wheel or taking far too many calls while driving. But dangerous distractions aren’t just limited to cell phones. You can be distracted by listening to music, eating, or even having a conversation with your passenger. The key to safe driving is to pay more attention to the road and vehicles around you than anything else. If that means having to turn off your cell phone when you get behind the wheel, then maybe that’s what it’ll have to take.
- Obey the speed limit. If you were born with a lead foot, it’s not a condition that’s irreversible. Learning how to slow down requires discipline, and a resolution to pay attention to the rules of the road. If you’re constantly speeding because you’re always running behind, perhaps the answer is to get an earlier start to your day or work on your time management skills. Your motivation should not only be being able to get affordable car insurance, but also to protect your safety, as well as your passengers and other people on the road with you.
- Don’t drive under the influence. Everyone knows it’s a bad idea to drive while impaired, either as a result of too much alcohol or taking prescription medications, but sometimes the decision to get behind the wheel comes more as the result of bad planning. If you’re going to be taking prescription medications or having a few drinks, take the necessary steps to ensure a ride home from a designated driver. In the end, there’s no better way to absolutely ruin your driving record and find yourself paying unbelievably high auto insurance premiums than by getting a DUI.
- Keep up with vehicle maintenance. Believe it or not, the condition of your tires and the condition of your engine can have a dramatic impact on your ability to avoid hazards on the road. Driving on tires that are bald or have fraying edges is downright dangerous because they could have a big increase in your stopping time, not to mention their risk of blowing out. Cars with struggling engines also run the risk of simply failing at dangerous times, like while driving through intersections or in dense traffic where the option to pull safely to the side of the road might not be available.
If all else fails and the insurance company still doesn’t pay as per the decision of the arbiter, your last resort is to go to court. This is where things can start getting particularly expensive, especially for you since you’ll not only have to worry about attorney’s fees, but also costly court fees. In this case, weigh your options carefully. The last thing you want is to spend $5000 taking your auto insurer to court just to recoup an additional $3000.
