If you’re the parent of a teen who’s about to get their license, you’ve probably got some mixed emotions. One thing on your mind (other than worrying about your teen’s safety) is probably how much car insurance for your teenager will cost. Odds are you’ve heard the rumors that teen car insurance is expensive.
When we think of the rainy season, we usually think about the summer. Or April. But one of Georgia’s rainiest months is actually February. So, it seems like a good time to go over some tips for driving in the rain. Driving in the rain puts many people’s nerves on edge, but with these tips, you can take care and stay safe in the rain.
Make sure that your car is ready to take a trip in the rain. Check that your brake lights, turn signals, and headlights are all functional – it’s really important that you’re as visible as possible in the rain. Replace any windshield wiper blades that aren’t doing their job very well. Lastly, check your tires. They should have a good tread depth; bald tires do not get as much traction on the road as newer tires with proper tread depth, which makes them dangerous. It’s also a good idea to check your tire pressure, especially when it’s cold.
When it rains, you need to slow down and take it easy. You don’t want to hydroplane. Hydroplaning is when the tires of a car actually rise off the asphalt and coast on top of the water.
Anyway, all of this is to say that it’s important to take it slow when it’s raining. It’s also a good idea to slow down early and gently if you’re coming to an intersection, a turn, or another traffic stop. Give yourself time to come to a stop safely.
Leave plenty of room between your car and the car in front of you. When the roads are slippery, it takes more time for your car to come to a stop, so you need to give yourself some personal space. Rain can lead to more traffic, too, which makes it especially important to leave lots of room in front of your car. Handling Atlanta traffic is not easy sometimes.
If you jam on your brakes, your car could skid. When you come to a turn, slow down and take it easy.
Headlights help other drivers see you when you’re driving in the rain, and windshield wipers help you see other drivers. It’s hard enough to see clearly in the rain – help yourself out by activating your headlights and wipers.
It’s easy to hydroplane if you go through a puddle too fast. If you can, try to safely avoid driving through standing water on the roadways by changing lanes. At the very least, slow down before reaching the water. But remember – don’t slam on the brakes.
If you get into a situation where your tires lift off the road, it’s important to do a few things:
If it’s bucketing down rain and you don’t have to be out on the road, try to reschedule your trip or postpone it. Of course, there are times when it can’t be helped and you have to drive in the rain, or maybe you’re already on the road and it starts pouring. But if it’s at all possible, you may want to take a literal rain check.
Driving in rain is not something most people like to do. Slick roads and poor visibility are definitely not ideal driving conditions. It’s important to remember to slow down, increase your following distance, and turn on your headlights and windshield wipers. Stay calm and keep your attention on the road – definitely no texting and driving in the rain. Remember, there are many benefits of being a safe driver, and that means knowing how to handle the rain.
If you want to save money on your car insurance, we can help. Our team of insurance professionals are pros at helping people shop for the best rate on their auto insurance. All you have to do to get car insurance quotes is fill out our online form or give us a call.
Sources:
https://driving-tests.org/beginner-drivers/how-to-drive-in-rain/
Auto insurance is not cheap. It’s a fact of life. If you feel like your auto insurance payments have gotten a bit out of control, you’re probably trying to scheme ways to save money on your car insurance. And maybe it seems like you’re not making much headway with that plot. Before you lose hope with saving money on your Atlanta car insurance, take a look at the following tips for lowering your auto insurance premiums.
Quick definition: a deductible is the amount you agree to pay if you have a loss or claim. Basically, you’re responsible for a portion of the loss and the insurance company is responsible for the rest.
Anyways, this is significant because there’s a connection between your deductible and your premium. Think of it as a teeter-totter. The higher your deductible, the lower your premium and vice versa. This is because if you have a higher deductible, you’re accepting more risk and you’re less likely to make a claim (since you would have to pay that higher deductible, it might not be worthwhile to file a small claim.)
Here’s the thing: you need to balance your teeter-totter. Okay, what we mean by that is you don’t want to set your deductible so high that it would be burdensome or ruinous if you did have a claim. However, if you take a look at your finances, evaluate how much you could comfortably afford in the event of a claim, and decide that you could stand to raise your deductible a little, you could save money on your premiums.
Accidents and speeding tickets cause your insurance rates to go up. That’s because these things are seen as indicators of risk, and insurance companies don’t exactly love risk. The “riskier” a driver you are to insure, the more you will end up paying for your insurance. So, to get lower car insurance rates, respect the benefits of being a safe driver. Focus on the road – don’t text and drive or engage in any other activity that could distract you. Don’t speed. Drive safe. Your insurance will likely be cheaper.
Who doesn’t love a good discount? For your car insurance, there’s the possibility that you could save substantial sums just by meeting certain qualifications. There are scads of discounts for auto insurance, although they do differ depending on what company you’re insured with. Maybe your company has a multi-vehicle discount if your family has insured more than one car with them. Or they might have a Good Student Discount if you’re a high-schooler, college student, or young adult with good grades. You could also get a low-mileage discount if you don’t do too much driving.
Anyways, if you’re looking to score some savings on your car insurance, go on a quest for discounts. Google your insurance company and check out their website. Give your agent a call. You never know what might come of it.
And while we’re on the topic of discounts, you could also get a discount if you purchase your car insurance and home insurance from the same company. This is usually called bundling. Do some research or call your agent to find out if you could get a discount for getting multiple policies from them. If it makes sense to do so, you might consider switching your home insurance to your car insurance company, or your car insurance to your home insurance company.
Some insurance companies see your credit score as an indicator of risk. If you have a better credit score, you’re seen as being a lower risk. That means that those with better credit scores may get better insurance rates.
Lower insurance rates may be granted to drivers of cars with safety features like anti-lock brakes and good airbags. You may also get lower auto insurance rates if you have an anti-theft device installed. If you’re thinking about buying a car, try to do some research on its safety ratings and how much it will cost to insure. While you may really, really want an expensive, sleek car, you will have to prepare yourself for the probability that the insurance will likely be very expensive.
When you’re on a mission to get car insurance, you may not want to just settle for the first policy and price you find. It’s important to look at the different coverage options and policies available from different companies. Since insurance companies all evaluate risk differently, you could get quotes that are quite different from each other. So, it may take some elbow grease and some patience, but if you stick with it and put on your “shopping” hat you could find a great rate for great coverage.
If you feel that you’re paying too much for your car insurance, there are steps you can take to lower your auto insurance rates. You can go on a mission to find discounts, bundle your home and auto insurance, or improve your credit score. And of course, you can shop around for the best coverage at the best rate. Our team of agents can help you with that – we’re professionals at helping people save money on auto insurance. All you have to do to get car insurance quotes is fill out our online form or call us today.
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We’ve all heard the dire warnings about distracted driving. Maybe part of us knows that texting and driving is wrong and dangerous, but do we ignore our instincts and do it anyways? When you’re behind the wheel, it’s important that your full attention is on the road and not anything else. Texting and driving isn’t something to take lightly, as the consequences are far-reaching and severe. We’ll outline five reasons not to text and drive.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted driving (including texting and driving) killed 3,450 nationwide in 2016. Over 390,000 people were injured in car accidents involving distracted driving in 2015. They estimate that at any given moment during the day in 2016, 481,000 people were using electronic devices while driving.
The CDC adds to these statistics that every day in the US, nine people are killed in car crashes that involve a distracted driver and over 1,000 are injured in distracted driving accidents every day.
The numbers are very sobering. It’s important to remember and keep in mind that you’re not on the road alone. There are innocent drivers and pedestrians all around you, and they could get hurt if a lapse in your attention results in a car accident.
In Georgia, texting and driving is illegal. If you get caught texting and driving, you’ll have to pay a fine and you’ll get the designated point penalty against your driver’s license. Points are not good, so it’s best to put the phone away while you’re driving.
For the record, “texting” as defined by the law is writing, reading, or sending text data using an electronic device (and yes, that includes emails.)
Reading or sending a text takes your attention off the road for about five seconds. Let’s say that you’re driving 45 mph. At that speed, you’ll travel 330 feet in five seconds. That’s over the length of a football field. At 55 mph, you’ll travel 403 feet in five seconds. That’s pretty terrifying to think about if you’re not looking at the road.
Imagine if someone asked you to put on a blindfold and drive the length of a football field. You wouldn’t do it, right? There are way too many risks – you could hit another car, strike a pedestrian, veer off the road. If you text and drive, you’re essentially driving blindfolded. Even looking away for two seconds means that you’re not watching the road for 132 feet. When you’re driving, reaction time is critical. And you can’t have a decent reaction time if you’re wasting precious seconds looking at your phone. You have to know what’s coming and act as quickly as possible – that’s part of being a defensive driver. Sure you might have collision coverage for your car, but it’s best to not have to use it.
There are three main types of distraction while you’re driving. There are manual distractions, which take your hands off the steering wheel. There are cognitive distractions, in which your mind is not focused on the road. And then there are visual distractions, which take your eyes away from the road. The thing about texting and driving is that it involves all three types of distraction, which makes it super dangerous. If your hands aren’t on the steering wheel, your mind isn’t focused on the road, and your eyes aren’t looking where you’re going, how are you supposed to operate a vehicle? All three of those things are kind of important when it comes to driving.
When you’re getting a quote for car insurance, chances are that the agent is going to check your driving record. Car accidents can count against you when it comes to your insurance rates because being involved in accidents means that you’re a higher risk to insure. And insurance companies really don’t like risk, so they charge more the higher a risk you are. Car insurance is expensive enough as it is, but it pays to be a safe driver. If you haven’t been in any car accidents or gotten any tickets, you’re seen as being less of a risk, meaning that you could save money on car insurance rates. So, there’s another reason to not text and drive
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Texting and driving puts both your safety and the safety of others on the road at risk. Thousands of people die each year because of distracted driving accidents. By simply putting your phone down and not looking at it while you drive, you lower your chances of causing a car accident. Driving and distractions just don’t mix. So, don’t take your chances – put the phone away and wait until you’re safely at your destination to text.
Do you want to save money on your car insurance rates? We can help you with that. We can help you shop around for the best possible care insurance rate by getting quotes from some of the top carriers in the country All you have to do to get car insurance quotes is fill out our online form or give us a call today.
Sources:
https://www.drivinglaws.org/georgia.php
https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/Distracted_Driving/index.html
Driving in Atlanta is always a bit of an adventure. Narrow streets, roadwork, limited parking, and, of course, figuring out how to survive Atlanta traffic! Perhaps even more intimidating than driving in the city is car insurance. It’s important to learn about car insurance so that you can answer common car insurance questions, but you might dread thinking about auto insurance because the rates can be so expensive. But there’s a simple, easy way to save on your car insurance – driving safe. We’ll give you five car-insurance-related reasons to be a straight-A driver.
When an insurance company goes to give you a quote on your car insurance, they look into your driving record. They’ll most likely check your record for accidents and tickets from the past three to five years. From your record, they’ll determine how much of a risk you and your family are to insure. The higher a risk you are, the more you’ll have to pay for insurance. And since insurance companies consider accidents and tickets to be risky … you get where we’re going.
If you have good driving habits and have a clean record, your premium will reward you and you’ll end up paying less for your auto insurance. The quotes you’ll receive from auto insurance companies will be lower – you may even be pleasantly surprised!
If you go for a good amount of time with no tickets or accidents, you could qualify for a discount on your auto insurance rates (depending on your carrier, of course.) Insurance companies like to reward drivers who drive safely. The fewer claims you have, the better. You want to present as little risk as possible to the insurance company, and that means no accidents. And that means no distracted driving, speeding, drowsy driving, or other risky driving behavior. Sure, we can’t control the actions of other drivers on the road, but we can control our own actions. And that means making conscious choices to be a safer driver and avoiding distracted or unsafe driving.
Usually, having a car accident would make your rates go up – insurance companies don’t like risk, remember? If you’ve had a clean driving record for a good amount of time, your carrier might allow you to have accident forgiveness. That means that if you do happen to have a car accident, your rates would not go up. Ask if your carrier has accident forgiveness.
The deductible is the amount that you agree to pay if you have a claim before the insurance company will step in to help you cover costs. Of course, this all depends on your insurance company. But if your company does allow you to lower your deductible for having a clean driving record, that means less money out of your pocket if you ever have a claim.
Being a safe driver and keeping your full attention on the road is important to help you avoid a car accident. This is your health and life that we’re talking about, along with the safety of other drivers on the road. Apart from preventing accidents and injuries to yourself and others, being a safe driver can help you save on your car insurance. So, as you can see, there are many reasons to be a careful driver and avoid risky driving when you get behind the wheel.
Looking for a car insurance quote in Atlanta? We would love to help you get the car insurance you need so you can hit the road with peace of mind. All you have to do to get in touch with one of our insurance agents is fill out our online quote form or give us a call today – we’d be happy to help you with all of your insurance needs!
Auto insurance can get confusing. You just want to be able to drive and get yourself to where you gotta go. It’s easier to put insurance out of your mind and assume that you’re covered for the what-ifs, but there are a few questions that you should know the answers to when it comes to car insurance. Knowledge is power, especially when you start talking insurance.
So here we go: ten questions about auto insurance and the answers – in fun-sized packages!
Probably not. The limits of car insurance that states require, called minimums, do give you some protection for your car. They might seem like a lot – for instance, Georgia requires $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 of bodily injury insurance per occurrence, and $25,000 of property damage liability insurance. But if a serious accident happens, chances are that those limits will be exhausted quickly, leaving you to take the fall for the remaining amount. So, it’s up to you as far as what limits you want on your insurance, but you may want to consider going above the minimum.
Yes, it very well might! Insurance companies often offer a significant discount if you get both your home and auto insurance from them (this is called bundling.) Insurance companies love it when their customers like them so much that they get multiple products from them.
Only if you have comprehensive auto coverage. This is different than the liability insurance required by the state, so it’s important that you know what comprehensive car insurance covers and if you have it. Comprehensive insurance covers your car if it’s damaged by something other than an accident. So, if a tree squishes your car into a pancake, you’d be covered if you had purchased comprehensive insurance.
Yes. Your college student will still be able to access the car when they’re home on breaks – chances are they’ll be begging you to borrow a car, so yes, they need to be on your insurance. You need to make sure your college student is properly insured.
Well, that depends on your personal auto policy. You may or may not need to get insurance from the agency – you’ll have to check your auto policy and see if your own insurance carries over to the rental vehicle, and you’ll have to decide what levels of coverage you’re comfortable with.
You would have to add rental reimbursement to your policy for a small additional charge for the rental car expenses to be covered. Cars are often in the shop for two weeks following an accident, so it might be worth it to think about getting this extra coverage.
Your uninsured motorist coverage or collision coverage would take care of it if you’ve purchased either of these coverages. Again, these are not included in the minimum liability insurance coverages required by many states, so you’ll have to make sure that you’re fully covered.
Their insurance would follow the car and kick in if you’re in an accident, but you have to be extremely careful because if their limits of coverage aren’t high and the damage goes above them, your own insurance would come next.
The same goes if your friend borrows your car. If they’re just borrowing it a few times, your policy should cover them. However, if they start driving your car more than you do, your premiums could be affected – the premiums are based on the primary driver and the vehicle itself. If they’re borrowing your car and using it more than you are, you should have them added to your policy to prevent any coverage mishaps.
No. The belongings that you have in your car may, however, be covered by your home insurance or renters insurance, which should follow your possessions regardless of where they happen to be. So, if you have a suitcase in the trunk and it gets stolen, your home or renters insurance would be the best place to start. But you’ll have to check your policy.
Now, as far as things like sound systems or radios go, those are not covered. So, if you’ve tripped out the stereo system in your car, you may want to consider purchasing additional insurance to make sure that it’s covered in case of theft.
Phew. Auto insurance can be tiring. You may have noticed that a lot of the above answers include a fancy form of saying “it depends.” You need to make sure that you’re familiar with your auto policy and the coverage you’ve purchased to know exactly what you are and aren’t covered for. Don’t take any chances when it comes to insuring your vehicle – accidents can become very costly, and you don’t want to find out the hard way that you don’t have as much coverage as you thought.
If you’d like to get some free quotes for auto insurance, we’d love to help you out with that! We can help you do your car insurance shopping. To get started with your car insurance quotes, all you have to do is fill out our quote form or give us a call today!