Tips for having an auto roadside emergency kit

Tips for having an auto roadside emergency kit

Tips for having an auto roadside emergency kit

You never know what might happen on Atlanta roads. Cars, unfortunately, are not infallible, and they can break down and refuse to cooperate. When that happens, it’s probably going to be a less painful experience if you have a car emergency kit stashed in your trunk. You never know when your car could refuse to start, get overheated, or start making an ominous “click-click-putter-cough” sound that necessitates pulling over. To avoid a total disaster, a little preparation can go a long way. Here are some tips about putting together an auto roadside emergency kit.

Tips for your roadside emergency kit.

1. Include the car-related items.

Well, first and foremost, having car-related items in the back of the car can come in handy. Your car emergency kit should include…

  • Jumper cables
  • Flares
  • Motor oil (2 quarts)
  • Antifreeze (1 gallon)
  • Washer fluid
  • Ice scraper – yes, Atlanta is hot, but it’s a handy thing to have.
  • Fuses
  • Tire inflator and tire pressure gauge

These things are simple, but they can make a big difference. For example, having some jumper cables can spare you the hassle of having to wait for a tow truck if your car won’t start because your battery is dead. Conversely, you can help out a friend if their car won’t start if you have cables in your car. (Then you’d be their hero!)

2. Have items for you and your family.

There are also items that can make a breakdown much more comfortable for all involved. Think about including the following…

  • Non-perishable food (i.e. snack bars)
  • Water
  • A blanket
  • First-aid kit
    • Bandages
    • Gauze
    • Gloves
    • Tape
    • Wipes
    • Scissors

You never know when one of the kids is going to get a boo-boo and need some first-aid, or when the car isn’t starting and snacks are an immediate necessity.

3. Don’t forget other handy items.

And then there are the miscellaneous items that can be extremely useful. Things that might make you go, “You know what I need right now…” when you’re in a predicament.

Here are a few more things to throw into your emergency roadside kit:

  • Flashlight and batteries
  • Pocket knife
  • Rags/Paper towel
  • Tools
    • Different screwdrivers
    • Pliers
    • Wrench

4. Customize your roadside kit.

You can make adjustments to your kit as needed so that it’s suited to you and your family’s needs. You have to consider what you would need in the event of a breakdown or an emergency when you’re putting together your kit. So, feel free to add things as needed. (And yes, it might seem like you’re toting around a lot of stuff with you on the off-chance that you’ll need it. But think of the benefits of being prepared. If it’s just a minor issue, you can take care of it on your own and get back on your way.)

5. Show everyone the contents of the emergency kit – and how to use them.

Well, first of all, it’s important that you’re familiar with your roadside emergency kit and it’s contents…meaning that you know how it all works and would be comfortable using it in a pinch. (For example…jumper cables.) Learn how to use all of these items safely.

Then you can make sure that your family knows what’s stored in the emergency kit. Imagine if someone took the car out, got stuck on the side of the road, and needed a flashlight. Thinking they don’t have a flashlight, they stumble around in the dark. And then get home only to have you tell them that there was a flashlight (and batteries) in the car the entire time.

Anyways, make sure everyone knows how to safely use these items, and make sure that the kids know not to get into the things they shouldn’t.

So, we’ve established that a roadside emergency kit could come in very handy if something happened – like if you broke down on the side of the road. But something that could also come in handy in the event of an accident or incident involving your car is Atlanta car insurance. Our team can help you get the coverage you need to protect yourself from the risks involved with car-ownership and driving. Get in touch with us by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.

What to know about your insurance if you’re going through a divorce

Divorce and insurance

Divorce and insurance

If you’re going through a divorce, the last thing you want to deal with is more stress. And for a lot of people, insurance is synonymous with stress. You’re already going through enough, and maybe you just want to know what to expect through. What should you know about your home insurance and car insurance if you’re getting divorced? We’ll explain.

What to know divorce and insurance.

Where to start?

It can be hard to know where to start when it comes to your insurance situation when you’re going through a divorce. What should you do insurance-wise? You might not know where to start when it comes to your insurance situation when you’re going through a divorce. What should you do insurance-wise? You might not know where to begin. Here are a few tips for handling your insurance:

  • Take a look at all of the insurance policies that you and your spouse had.
  • Figure out the policies that you’ll need and make notes of the changes you need to make.
  • Take some time to handle health insurance for your whole family.
  • Determine if you’ll need any additional coverage.

So, take it step by step. Review your policies and remind yourself of what coverages you have and take some notes.

Home insurance.

When it comes to home insurance, this is (of course) the policy that protects the structure of your house. But what happens if one of you is moving out, leaving the other with the house? The spouse who remains will likely want to change the policy so that it only lists their name. So, that’s something that needs to happen. Another thing that needs to happen is a review of the insurance policy. Some things to look at…

  • Is the structure of the home insured for its replacement cost value?
  • Likewise, are your belongings insured for their replacement cost value and not their actual cash value.
  • Is your deductible set where you want it?
  • Have you bundled your home and auto insurance?
  • Does your coverage still fit your needs? (Have you gained any valuables, etc.?)

Anyways, it’s important to make sure that the coverage for your house still fits.

Auto insurance.

You’ll also have to handle your car insurance. It’s essential to keep the proper coverage for your vehicle, of course, as it’s what protects your car from damage and protects you from the fallout of damage that you could cause to someone else’s car…or someone. Anyways, you’ll need to make the appropriate adjustments to the policy. If you are not going to be living in the same household, you may need to get separate car insurance policies. As a part of the divorce, you’ll need to take your spouse off of your car insurance policy. You also may want to consider other coverages, such as rental reimbursement, towing, or roadside assistance, as you review your car insurance policy.

Health and life insurance.

Health insurance should be addressed in the final divorce decree. It should be made perfectly clear who’s paying for what, particularly if there are children involved – it needs to be perfectly clear as to who will provide coverage. (Typically whoever had the coverage for the kids before the divorce will carry on with providing it.) You also may want to establish who will be paying for medical expenses that aren’t reimbursed.

As far as life insurance goes, it’s important to review these policies to be sure that they’re still doing what you need them to do. It may be necessary to change beneficiaries. If you depend on your ex-spouse’s income for living expenses, you’ll need to make sure you’re still named as a beneficiary. (But check with an attorney before making changes to your beneficiaries.) The divorce decree should also explain who’s going to carry life insurance, how much, the beneficiaries, and the accrued cash values.

Pro tip: Don’t forget to close all joint accounts – this can help you avoid credit snafus later on.

Divorce is, of course, something that is emotional and stressful, and insurance is probably the last thing you want to deal with. Take things one day at a time, one policy at a time. And let us know if you need help getting your insurance quotes. If you give us a call, message us, or fill out our online form, we’d be happy to help.

Does it cost more to insure a new car?

insure a new car

Buying a new car

If you are thinking about buying a new car, you might wonder if you have to worry about your car insurance rates. That new car might be very tempting and very shiny, but how much is it going to cost to insure? You’re already going to be paying a lot of money for the vehicle, after all, and you’re a bit apprehensive about what those insurance rates are going to look like. Does a new car cost more to insure? Well, insurance rates are complicated, but here are a few things that you can keep in mind.

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6 tips for Atlanta college student car insurance

Atlanta college student car insurance

Atlanta college student car insurance

If you’re a college student, you’re probably discovering a lot of freedom – and a lot of responsibilities. Along with being able to eat pizza at 3 a.m., you have to take care of grown-up things – one of which is car insurance. Sure, being in college and being independent is great and all, but maybe you wish you weren’t quite so independent when it comes to getting your auto insurance. Where do you even start? It might seem overwhelming, but here are a few tips for getting Atlanta college student car insurance.

6 tips for Atlanta college student car insurance.

1. Drive safe.

We know, we know – you’ve heard it a million times. Don’t speed, don’t text and drive, try not to hit things, and all that good stuff. But these things have consequences that go beyond just getting a ticket and/or having to pay a hefty fine. You may end up paying quite a bit more for your car insurance. If you drive safe and keep a clean driving record, it can put you in a better insurance situation. That’s how being a safe driver can pay off – you can get lower insurance premiums.

2. Ask about college student car insurance discounts.

Okay, if you’re a student, funds might be a little tight. School is expensive, room and board is expensive, food is expensive. And insurance for young drivers is typically pretty expensive. However, you may be eligible for college student car insurance discounts. Here are a few discounts you may want to look into.

Good Student: A student who makes good grades may qualify for a Good Student Discount. You’ll probably have to provide some proof of said good grades – i.e. a transcript.

Away at School: If you’re attending school a certain distance away from home – for example, 100 miles – and you don’t bring a car, you might get an away-at-school discount. That could come in handy, so check with your parents if you’re still on their policy and see if that’s something that could help you out.

Bundling: If you have a car and an apartment, you may want to think about bundling your car insurance and your renters insurance. (All this means is you’re getting both coverages from the same insurance company.)

Pay-in-full: In the long run, you may be able to save money by paying for your policy upfront. Yes, it’s a big payment, but it could be less expensive than paying in installments if you get a pay-in-full discount. Just something to consider – of course, you have to do what’s best for your budget.

These are just a few car insurance discounts you can qualify for as a college student. Don’t forget to ask about your discounts and what savings you could be eligible for.

3. Understand what coverages you need.

First thing to know about car insurance – there are a lot of different coverages out there and they all do different things. Of course, they all protect you, just in different ways. It can help to have a working knowledge of these coverages so you’re prepared when you get the car insurance you need. Here are the basic coverages you should know about.

Bodily injury liability – It’s really important to have bodily injury liability coverage because it can cover the other driver’s medical expenses and lost wages if they’re injured in an accident in which you’re at fault.

Property damage – Can cover repairs to the other driver’s car (or other property you happen to damage) if you’re at fault in an accident.

Collision coverage – Can cover repairs to your car if you are in an accident or you hit something, like a fence.

Comprehensive coverage – Can cover repairs to your car if it’s damaged by something other than an accident, like fire, falling objects, animal strike, and vandalism. (It can also cover theft.)

Rental reimbursement – Can help cover the cost of renting a car if your car is in the shop due to an accident.

Medical payments – Can help cover your medical bills and those of your passengers if you’re injured in an accident.

These are some of the coverages you can consider as part of your car insurance plan. Well, to be honest, you’re required to have some of them. The State of Georgia requires you to have $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 of bodily injury liability per occurrence, and $25,000 of property damage liability. And if you have a car payment, your lender may require you to carry collision and comprehensive coverage. Anyways, make sure that you have the coverage you need and that you have high enough coverage limits to truly protect you.

4. Think about bundling your car insurance and renters insurance.

Something you might want to think about is bundling your renters insurance and your car insurance, which we mentioned earlier. Yes, this could indeed help you save money, but it also gives you the convenience of being able to deal with only one insurance carrier. Look into bundling and see if this seems like a good strategy for your situation. That way you could set yourself up to save money and un-complicate your insurance.

5. Resist the impulse to procrastinate.

True, insurance isn’t something that most people enjoy having to deal with. And that means that you might have the urge to procrastinate when it comes to getting your car insurance taken care of. But – not to nag or anything – you might want to be proactive and not wait until the last minute to get college student car insurance. If you give yourself time, you spare yourself a headache, for starters. But you also give yourself more time to look into various insurance options so you can choose the one that suits your needs and situation (and perhaps budget).

6. Get multiple quotes for Atlanta college student car insurance.

Getting multiple quotes for your college student car insurance might seem like a lot of work, but it can pay off to keep your options open and compare different quotes. You don’t have to do that all on your own, though – our team can help you with that. We can help you get multiple quotes. In fact, our team of agents are pretty good at that, if we say so ourselves.

Here’s how it works.

1. You reach out to us over the phone, with our online form, or through LiveChat. If you need to email or text, we can do that, too.

2. We have a quick talk about your insurance situation.

3. We’ll get you some car insurance quotes.

4. We go over your quotes with you.

5. We’ll be here to handle any issues or questions that come up.

So, that’s what you need to know about college student car insurance! Insurance might seem intimidating and scary, but we like to make insurance as easy as possible. Our team can help you through the process of getting car insurance – get started with your quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.

What’s happening with Georgia HB 113 about distracted driving?

HB 113

HB 113

Georgia passed a broad distracted driving law a few years ago in an effort to reduce distracted driving. The law prohibits drivers from handling their phones (i.e. texting or holding the phone) behind the wheel. The 2018 distracted driving law meant that Georgia joined several other states in their missions to target this issue. But there is a new bill on the horizon that has revealed that this issue is not cut and dry – HB 113. There are different opinions on the matter.

What is HB 113?

A State House of Representative Committee recently backpedaled a proposal that would have affected the fines for distracted driving. The original HB 113 (sponsored by Rep. John Carson) would have made the fines increase. The maximum fine for a first offense would have risen to $100 from $50, and the fine for a second offense would have gone to $200. A third offense would have meant a fine of $300.

However, what actually happened was a little different. The committee okayed a substitute bill, sponsored by Rep. Alan Powell. The fine for distracted driving would be between $25 and $100 according to the judge’s decision, no matter how many previous distracted driving citations the driver had. The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee also added a stipulation that forbids drivers under the age of 18 from using electronics while driving.

What happened with HB 113.

Georgia lawmakers appear to disagree on how to prevent and reduce instances of distracted driving, though safety professionals have said that distracted driving has fueled a rise in traffic deaths.

Rep. John Carson, who sponsored the original version of HB 113, believes that higher fines are needed to dissuade drivers from using electronics behind the wheel. Carson’s proposal of steeper fines for distracted driving was met with approval from police, hospitals, insurance, and traffic safety groups, as well as those who have lost loved ones in distracted driving accidents.

But Powell believes that the fines are too much, which is why he supported the substitute bill. He expressed concern that the proposed fines in HB 113 would be too difficult for some people to pay. He believes that because people follow Georgia’s seatbelt law though the fine is only $15, the distracted driving fines do not need to be so high. (Powell’s version of the bill also gets rid of additional fines that could be added on for the Georgia Trauma Trust Fund.)

HB 113 and teen drivers.

The substitute bill also added a measure that would prevent teen drivers (those under age 18) from using electronics while driving. This was part of Georgia’s anti-texting law until the distracted driving law passed in 2018. (Essentially, this measure would add that restriction back for teen drivers.) Carson is in favor of this measure, but he pointed out in an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article that this could also prove to be a point of division among lawmakers and could even threaten the bill’s chances.

The revised bill from Powell was approved by a vote of 7-4.

Get car insurance quotes.

If you need quotes for Atlanta car insurance, we can help with that. Get started with your quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.

Source:

https://www.ajc.com/news/state–regional-govt–politics/panel-revises-georgia-distracted-driving-bill-reduce-proposed-fines/fmopuyyOh7H3XT6TjMjDgN/

What is property damage liability insurance?

Property damage liability

Property damage liability

If you’re a driver, you need to have the proper insurance. It’s really important that you have the right insurance to legally hit the roads in Georgia, and one of the coverages that you’ll need is property damage liability coverage. What’s that, you ask? Property damage liability is the coverage that can help you if you’re responsible for, well, damaging someone’s property. We’ll explain more about this coverage, including what it does, what it doesn’t do, and how much of it you need to have.

What is property damage liability?

Property damage liability is the coverage that can help repair the other driver’s car if you’re at fault in an accident. (For example, if you rear-end someone and cause $1,500 of damage to their car.) In that way, it helps you cover your legal obligation to the other driver. It can also help you out if you accidentally take out a fence or mailbox or something. Oh, and it can help you cover legal expenses if you get sued. Pretty cool, huh?

Am I required to have property damage liability?

Yes. Most states require drivers to carry property damage liability insurance, and Georgia is no exception. In Georgia, drivers have to carry $25,000 of property damage liability at least. It’s really important that you carry the limits of insurance required by the state. Not doing so can be a big problem.

(Now, while we’re on the topic of Georgia car insurance requirements, we’ll touch briefly on another coverage that the state mandates that drivers carry: bodily injury liability. This is the coverage that can help cover the costs of the other driver’s medical bills and lost wages. Georgia says that drivers have to carry $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person and $50,000 of bodily injury liability per occurrence.)

Anyway, that means that the minimum limits of insurance in Georgia are $25,000/$50,000/$25,000. (The first number is the per person bodily injury liability limit, the second number is the per occurrence bodily injury liability limit, and the last number is the property damage liability limit.) Keep in mind that you might want to have higher limits of coverage – the state limits might not be high enough to cover the fallout from a serious accident.

What about my car?

When it comes to insurance coverages, things can get complicated.

You might wonder how your own car would get repaired in the event of an accident in which you’re at fault. Property damage liability can help repair the other driver’s car, but what about your own vehicle? You need your car to get yourself where you need to go.

The thing is that your property damage liability doesn’t cover your car – it’ll only take care of the other driver’s car. But that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. There’s a different coverage that can help – collision coverage.

Collision coverage can help you repair your car following an accident – or if you run into something like a fence. That’s how you can get your car back on the road after an accident, even if you’re technically at fault. So, if you’ve got collision coverage, you can hopefully get your car insurance take care of the repair bill (minus your deductible).

Okay, so you might now wonder this – are you required to have collision coverage? It’s a good question. If you have a lender and a car payment, they may require you to carry collision coverage and its buddy, comprehensive coverage. Anyways, it’s really important that you carry the necessary coverage, both as mandated by the state and by your lender. And, as we always say, it’s important to read your car insurance policy.

So, that’s the scoop on how property damage liability works. Like we said, it’s important to have the right car insurance. If you’re looking for Atlanta car insurance quotes, we can help. Get started with your quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat. Our team would be happy to get your some quotes for the auto insurance you need.

What does Atlanta comprehensive coverage do?

Atlanta comprehensive coverage

Atlanta comprehensive coverage

If you have a car to get around the bustling city of Atlanta or to cruise the suburban streets of the metro area, you’re going to need the right car insurance. (And let’s face it, Atlanta is a driving city.) There are a lot of coverages out there that you can consider for your vehicle, and for some reason, they have confusing names. One coverage to think about is Atlanta comprehensive coverage…but what is comprehensive coverage? We’ll explain.

What is comprehensive coverage?

Comprehensive coverage can protect your car against losses that are not being-in-a-wreck. For example, comprehensive coverage can cover…

  • Fire
  • Theft
  • Vandalism
  • Falling objects
  • Animal strikes

There are a lot of things that could happen to your poor car. It’s important to have a way to cover the costs of repairing your car should a comprehensive loss befall it. It’s not easy to casually drop a ton of money to repair a car, so that’s why Atlanta comprehensive coverage can help.

For example, what if a massive tree branch falls right on your car? It could cause a lot of damage to your car, but you can protect your bank account with your comprehensive coverage. That’s what it’s there for.

Pro tip: Make sure to read your policy so you know what losses are covered and which are not. Its’ really important to know the ins and outs of your insurance.

Do I need comprehensive coverage?

Another question that comes up a lot is this: do I need comprehensive coverage? The state of Georgia does not require comprehensive coverage. (What Georgia does require is $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 of bodily injury liability per occurrence, and $25,000 of property damage liability.)

However, if you have a car payment, your lender may require you to carry comprehensive coverage (and its best friend collision coverage – more on that in a moment.) It’s really important that you have all the coverage you’re required to have for your car, whether it’s the state requiring it or your lender.

What about the deductible?

Your comprehensive coverage likely comes with a deductible. The deductible is the amount you’ve agreed to pay if you have a claim. You pay for a chunk of the damage and the insurance company steps in to start helping to cover costs.

Let’s say that you have a $500 deductible. Then a tree branch falls on your car. (For the sake of the hypothetical, we’ll say that it’s going to be a covered loss.) The branch causes $1,750 of damage to your car. Yikes. You would pay your $500 deductible and the insurance company pays $1,250. (Which is better than you having to pay the whole $1,750, right?)

You need to put some thought into choosing your deductible. If you are able to set a higher deductible, you could save money on your premium. However, don’t set your deductible so high that you’d be hard-pressed to pay it in the event of a claim. You have to find your happy place in the deductible-premium balance.

What is collision coverage?

Collision coverage is the one that can help you repair or replace your car if you’re in an accident (or if you hit something like a fence). It works hand-in-hand with comprehensive coverage. And again, this coverage might be required by your lender if you have a car payment. It’s definitely something to consider.

So, that’s the scoop about comprehensive coverage and what it can do to help you with your car if there’s a loss other than a collision! It’s a handy thing to have. Anyways, if you’re looking for Atlanta car insurance, our team can help. Get started with quotes by filling out our online form, giving us a call, or messaging us.

How to get Atlanta Progressive car insurance

Atlanta Progressive car insurance

Atlanta Progressive car insurance

You rely on your car. It’s kind of essential for your daily life, as it’s your means of getting places. And you love your car – and you do enjoy having money in your bank account. That’s why you want car insurance that’s going to be there for you. So you admit it – Flo got to you and now you want Atlanta Progressive car insurance. Maybe you’re moving to Atlanta, or maybe you’ve lived in the city for a while, but how does one get car insurance from Progressive, anyway? Like this!

Get Atlanta Progressive car insurance.

1. Get in touch with our team.

Here at Atlanta Insurance, we have a whole bunch of insurance agents who would be happy to help you get a car insurance quote from Progressive. We like to make insurance easy, so we have a few different ways you can get in touch with our team.

Online form: Go ahead and fill out our online form so we can get some of the details we need to get you a car insurance quote from Progressive. This just lets us get a bit of a head-start so we can jump right in.

Call us: If you prefer to talk on the phone, that’s fine with us. We’d be happy to have a quick conversation with you on the phone so we can assist you with your car insurance needs and help you get Atlanta car insurance from Progressive.

LiveChat: We’ve even got LiveChat, so you can message with one of our agents to let us know that you’re interested in getting a car insurance quote from Progressive. Messaging is fine by us.

Email or text: Maybe talking on the phone or using LiveChat isn’t ideal for you. That’s fine – just tell us that you’d rather email or text with us and we can make that happen.

Our goal is to make insurance easy. That starts with making communication convenient. Don’t hesitate to just let us know if you can’t talk on the phone. Simply tell us your preferred method of context and we can work with that.

2. Have a chat with one of our agents.

We’ll need to confirm some information from you so we can go forth and get that quote for Progressive car insurance in Atlanta, so one of our agents will reach out to talk with you through whatever method of communication works for you. We just want to make sure that we’re understanding your insurance situation. We want to help you get the right coverage. At any rate, we won’t take up much of your time – we know you’re busy.

3. We get that Atlanta Progressive car insurance quote for you.

The next step is us going out on a quest for your Atlanta Progressive car insurance quote. We’ll be quick as we can – we don’t want to keep you waiting. We’ll let you know when we’ve got your quote. And from there, we can move onto the next step!

4. We’ll go over the quote with you.

What happens next is our agent will take the time to go over the quote with you. We’ll answer any questions you might have about the quote – we want you to feel confident about the coverage you have for your vehicle, as this insurance policy is protecting you financially. Don’t be shy about asking any questions you may have, whether they’re big questions you may have, whether they’re big questions or small questions. (If you don’t have any questions right at that moment, don’t sweat it – you can reach out any time if you think of any queries!)

5. We’ll be here for insurance support.

After we give you your quote and all that, we’ll be here to help with any insurance needs that come up. We’ll answer questions and help resolve issues if they come up. We can help make adjustments to your coverage as needed. Anyways, what we’re trying to say is this – we won’t just poof into thin air when you need something. We’ll be here for insurance support!

So, that’s how you get a Progressive car insurance quote! Our team is here to help with your insurance needs, so just give us a shout if you need car insurance. Getting Atlanta car insurance from Progressive doesn’t have to be complicated when you work with our team! Take a second to fill out our online form and we’ll be on the case.

What does Atlanta collision coverage do?

Atlanta collision coverage

Atlanta collision coverage

There are a lot of different car insurance coverages out there. The thing is that you need to understand what each of these coverages does. They team up to protect you from different risks. One important coverage that covers your car is collision coverage.

What is collision coverage?

Collision coverage is the coverage that can help you repair or replace your car if you’re in an accident. Or if you hit something like a fence, telephone pole, or something else that’s solid and in the way.

You might wonder why this coverage is necessary – won’t your liability coverage repair your car? No. It probably won’t cover your car repairs if you’re at fault in an accident. It can help cover the other driver’s car repairs if you’re at fault (that’s the property damage section) and even the other driver’s medical bills (that’s the bodily injury section). But if you have damage to your car due to an accident in which you’re at fault, or if you hit a tree or something, you would not be covered by your liability insurance. However, your collision coverage could help you in these situations.

(At any rate, as always, it’s important to read your car insurance policy all the way through.)

What is the deductible?

Your collision coverage likely comes with a deductible. The deductible is the amount you agree to pay if you have a claim (you pay your chunk and the insurance company pays theirs). For example, let’s say that your deductible is $500. Then let’s say you have an accident that causes $1,500 of damage to your car. (For the sake of our hypothetical, we’ll say that it’s a covered loss and your insurance is going to help you.) You would pay $500 and your insurance company would pay $1,000.

Choose your deductible wisely. You don’t want to set it so high that it would be a big problem to pay if you have a claim. But keep in mind that if you’re financially comfortable setting a higher deductible, you could see a lower insurance premium. Just something to think about when you’re setting your deductible.

(Anyways, it’s not a bad idea to set aside some emergency money in case you have to pay your deductible due to a claim.)

Do I need collision coverage?

So, at this point, you might be wondering if collision coverage is required. Do you have to have it? Well, Georgia doesn’t require you to carry collision coverage. The state’s minimum limits of insurance are $25,000 of bodily injury liability insurance per person, $50,000 of bodily injury liability per occurrence, and $25,000 of property damage liability.

However, if you have a car payment, your lender may require you to carry both collision and comprehensive coverage. (They want to protect their investment in the vehicle.) It’s important that you have the appropriate coverage as required by both your lender and the state. Don’t think that no one will notice if you don’t have the right insurance for your car. You could run into some major trouble if you don’t.

What’s comprehensive coverage?

Earlier we mentioned yet another coverage you can consider for your vehicle – comprehensive coverage. This is the coverage that can help you repair or replace your car if there’s a loss that is not a wreck – for example, theft, fire, vandalism, falling objects, or hitting a deer. That’s the long-story-short version of what comprehensive coverage is. It’s basically collision coverage’s best friend.

So, that’s what collision coverage is. It can help you repair or replace following a wreck or if you hit something like a fence or a pole. It’s not technically required by the state of Georgia, but your lender may require you to carry this coverage on your vehicle if you have a car payment. Remember, make sure you have the necessary coverage for your car.

If you want some help with getting the Atlanta car insurance you need for your vehicle, let our team know. Message us on LiveChat or give us a call to get in touch. You can also fill out our online form if you prefer. We’re here to help with your Georgia auto insurance needs.