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The Effects of DUI in Car Insurance Policy in California

Getting a DUI is a difficult thing to cope with at any stage of your life. Drunk driving not only puts you at a risk of killing yourself, but it also put a permanent blot on your driving register. The record is likely to stay on your driving register for as long as ten years. In addition, you will be considered an unsafe driver. You are now a high-risk driver. Being so has its own set of disadvantages, especially if you are willing to opt for insurance in the state of California. It means that insurance providers are no longer ready to insure you. You are more likely to face a great deal of trouble following a DUI conviction in CA.

After getting a DUI conviction, the trouble arises with your car insurance in California. The first question that comes to your mind is that whether you should inform your insurance company about your DUI conviction. DUI Laws stipulate that fines exceeding $2000 and jail stints varying between four months and one year are punishment for law-breakers.

The fact is you will not be fined at all at the hearing. Nevertheless, even if you do not tell your insurer about it, the insurer is likely to find out about it. After you are found guilty of DUI in California, your driver’s license would be suspended immediately. California Department of Motor Vehicles states that you must submit a SR-22 form to the department of motor vehicles right after getting a DUI conviction to get your license re-instated. SR-22 form is an insurance document, which states that you have a valid driver’s license and meet the state’s requirements for liability coverage. Only the insurance provider can issue a SR-22 form. Therefore, you need to inform them about your DUI. The company may also eventually find out about it when it looks at your past records while renewing your license. If your insurer finds about your DUI, you may face quite a few problems. There is the impending issue of whether the company would cancel your insurance or charge a high rate for it.

The California department of insurance ensures that a vehicle insurance company cannot cancel your insurance in the middle of a term, and neither can it make any changes to it. Therefore, you may heave a sigh of relief that your policy would not be threatened midway. However, after your term finishes, the company may not want to renew your license or it may increase your premium by about 20-30%. Even if you are applying for a brand new license, you will have a great deal of trouble finding a company who wants to insure you.

Companies with big names would charge you a hefty premium or rather not give you insurance at all. However, there is no dearth of insurance companies in California. You are most likely to get your car insurance in California, but look for the best deals, which would benefit you in such a situation. Look for providers that provide as low a premium as possible. As your DUI charge is likely to stay on your record for ten years, you need to pay a higher premium than normal. Nevertheless, after ten years, the charge is erased from your driver’s record and you can opt for insurance afresh.

The best way to avoid a DUI conviction is to drive safely and not under the influence of alcohol. You can attend the remedial classes and start being a responsible citizen if you are booked under DUI. Try not to repeat the same mistakes, which will not only compel you to pay a hefty amount for your car’s insurance in California, but also further stain your driver’s profile, which will result in future harassment. To compare auto insurance rates instantly, you just have to enter the zip code of your locality and then you can opt for the best deals.

Finding Cheap Car Insurance Cover In California

Unlike years before when you mostly had to go with what was offered by any provider, today it is the consumer who actually goes to the market knowing exactly what he wants. With the rise in internet usage, passing of information has never been easier. You can literally get all the information you want about anything. In the insurance industry the same applies only that here you have to know how to read in between the lines. Insurance companies have almost similar services and terms, at least in the eyes of the person in the street but there are very varying differences and that is why you will need do some thorough research or get a trusted agent to walk you through. Let’s look into some of the ways you can use to locate cheap car insurance cover in California.

The first thing as hinted above is to go to the internet and as much as you can gather the information required. This is only possible if you have already identified your needs first. Some of the things that you will need to understand are the deductibles; before an insurance company settle a claim an individual is required to give some money called ‘deductible’ and the more the deductible the less the premiums you will pay. Thus if you are out to save some money you can do with the only basic requirements especially when it comes to the liability cover.

After doing research on the various insurance companies it is now time to get car insurance quotes. You should ask quotes from as many providers as possible and at the same time checking that the quotes are for the same thing. Always check what charges are associated with each policy for different companies, a small difference could mean a whole world of difference in terms of the premiums paid. When filling out the questionnaires that enable the insurance give a relevant quote always give truthful information about you so as to avoid having a wrong quote or being rejected altogether by the company.

Check the discounts that you qualify for in each of the companies. A lot of people get their insurance covers through brokers and it is important that you gather all the information relevant to discounts and ways through which you can reduce costs. Stability and reliability of an auto insurance company cannot be underestimated. Check on the index that measures clients’ complaints, if a company’s index is high then it means it has very poor customer service and by all means you should try and avoid taking a policy with them. By checking everything about a company it might save one the later headaches of discovering not so pretty things including the company having no practicing license.

 

Finally, don’t forget that if you have a vehicle or trailers that doesn’t wander onto the freeways and main roads the law doesn’t strictly state that you insure them since they rarely if ever are in contact with the world where road accidents are all too common and as shown it is quite easy to find a cheap car insurance cover in California.

Facts Surrounding Car Insurance in CA

California just as all other states in the US and other countries, demands that you have an auto insurance cover if you are driving. Failure to this results in an automatic and immediate license suspension. The law in California requires that all drivers have insurance coverage for personal injury, accident and property damage. This is conveniently called 15/30/15 respectively referring to the amounts in thousands for each insurance coverage. The amount of money paid for coverage of car insurance in CA is dependent on a number of factors. Age, type of car and residence come to play here. Drivers below the age of 25 are deemed to be of higher risk than those above. This means that a driver of 25 years and below will have to pay higher premiums for their coverage and will reduce as they get older and get more experience on the road.  There are better offers for college students but they mostly entail the parent including them in their auto insurance cover. The more expensive the car is the higher the premium for auto insurance. Apart from the cost of the vehicle the type of car also matters. A sports vehicle that clocks hundreds of miles an hour costs more than insuring a minivan. A vehicle is insured to cover both theft and accidents. In order to reduce the premiums for any vehicle, it is advisable to install anti theft devices. Making your vehicle harder to steal may convince the insurance company to lower your premium rate.

The area where one lives also affects the cost of Car Insurance in CA. The security of your area of residence is what is brought into question. People living in high crime prone areas pay higher auto insurance rates than those in low risk areas. Your driving history is also a determining factor when it comes to insurance coverage. This may not affect young drivers but is a key factor to maintain as you gain experience. A history with numerous traffic violations puts one in the high risk category. Incidences of DUIs also blemish ones driving record. Once categorized as a high risk driver, you will have to pay high premiums for a long time.

It is advisable to shop around for auto insurance covers. Settling for commendations from your friends and family may not be a good idea. Insurance rates and terms are revised all the time, so you might settle for an old offer and overlook a new one. Car insurance quotes are available online and are free of charge. Start by entering your Zip in the slot provided in this site to view the numerous offers available. Do not be blinded by the cheap offers only. View the terms and conditions for as many policies as you can and weigh them according to your wants. Read clearly and ask for clarifications from the available insurance brokers and agents.