Five Driving Tips to Help with Your Car Insurance

If a driver has any control over the price of their car insurance, and they do, it’s in the manner in which they drive, how much they drive and when they drive. The more risky a driver’s behavior, the more they will pay for car insurance. If you want to enjoy low auto insurance rates, then you have to be conscientious and mature when driving your vehicle.

To help you understand which specific behaviors will be rewarded and which will result in your being penalized, we’ve assembled five useful tips. Follow these to earn lower insurance rates.

Never Drive Under the Influence

This is a simple one. Don’t drink and drive or take drugs and drive. Being arrested and convicted of either means high car insurance rates. If you’re an offender multiple times, you’ll lose your right to drive and will have a hard time getting insurance once you’re allowed to drive again. What percentage of accidents each year are due to drunk driving? The estimate is 40%. That’s an alarming statistic.

 Obey the Rules of the Road

If you’re an overly aggressive driver, tailgate, illegally pass and/or speed and are caught, you will start to earn points that will drive up the price of your car insurance. If you get too many points within a certain amount of time, you’ll lose your license and will have to go enroll in a driver’s education program.

 Drive Defensively

One way to lessen the risk of getting into an accident and seeing your car insurance rates rise is by driving defensively. That means watching out for the other driver, for developing situations at all times and reacting to them. In this manner you’ll be able to avoid and even prevent accidents and that will save you money on your car insurance.

 Don’t Drive When Tired

 It is simply a bad idea to drive when you are tired. Not only are your reflexes slower than when you are alert, but also there’s always the chance that you will fall asleep at the wheel. The results can be catastrophic.

It’s estimated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that there are 100,000 crashes per year that are connected to driver fatigue. In those crashes 71,000 people are injured and approximately 1,550 are killed. The cost of these accidents totals $12.5 billion.

 Adjust to Road Conditions

If you are driving on slippery roads, in a downpour or across an icy stretch of highway, then make adjustments. Drivers who do not make changes to their speed when weather and road conditions deteriorate are taking a huge chance.

If it’s unsafe to drive due to bad weather, then stay home. If you can’t see because of thick fog, heavy rain or blowing snow, then pull off the road and wait in a safe setting. Taking yourself out of harm’s way is the best practice to employ when roads cannot be navigated properly.

You Can Save Money

The use of these tips is a proactive way to save money on you car insurance. Rising insurance premiums are directly related to poor driving practices and bad decision-making. It’s in your power to save money on car insurance by making common sense decisions.