Consumer Tested Strategies to Save on Vienna Auto Insurance

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced auto insurance policy? Trust us, there are a lot of people in Vienna just like you who feel imprisoned by their auto insurance policy.

Companies like GEICO and Progressive constantly blast consumers with ad campaigns and it is difficult to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

Take advantage of discounts

Companies that sell car insurance don't necessarily list all available discounts in a way that's easy to find, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find savings tricks you should be using.

  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings - Keeping the miles down can qualify you for discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
  • Clubs and Organizations - Being a member of a civic or occupational organization is a good way to get lower rates when buying auto insurance.
  • Seat Belts Save - Buckling up and requiring all passengers to wear their seat belts can save 10% or more off your PIP or medical payments premium.
  • No Accidents - Drivers with accident-free driving histories can earn big discounts when compared with drivers who are more careless.
  • Paperless Signup - Certain companies may give you up to $50 just for signing your application digitally online.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. Even though it may seem like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn't work that way.

auto insurance in Vienna

Vienna Rates are Influenced by These Factors

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates enables informed choices that could result in lower auto insurance prices.

The list below includes some of the factors auto insurance companies consider when setting premiums.

  • Safer cars cost less to insure - Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and any reduction in injury severity means lower claim amounts and more competitive rates for policyholders.
  • Do you have enough liability coverage? - The liability section of your policy provides coverage if you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage starting from day one. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
  • A lapse in coverage is a bad thing - Driving your car without having proper coverage is against the law and auto insurance companies will penalize you for letting your insurance lapse. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage will get you a revoked license or a big fine.
  • Rates may be higher depending on your occupation - Occupations such as doctors, business owners and dentists tend to have the highest average rates in part from high stress and lengthy work days. Other professions such as actors, historians and the unemployed receive lower rates.
  • Pay less if you're married - Being married actually saves money on your policy. Having a spouse means you're more mature it has been statistically shown that being married results in fewer claims.
  • Older drivers pay less - Older insureds are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations. Youthful drivers tend to be less responsible when behind the wheel and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.

Are auto insurance companies telling the truth?

21st Century, Allstate and State Farm regularly use ads on TV and radio. All the companies make an identical promise that you can save if you move to their company. How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. An example of a profitable customer might be a mature driver, has no driving citations, and drives less than 10,000 miles a year. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and most likely will save when they switch companies.

Potential customers who don't qualify for the requirements must pay a higher premium and ends up with the customer not buying. Company advertisements say "drivers who switch" not "people who quote" save that much. That's the way insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This illustrates why drivers should get quotes from several different companies. It's impossible to know which auto insurance company will provide you with the cheapest rates.

Learn more about West Virginia auto insurance

Additional detailed information is available at the West Virginia Insurance Commission website. Visitors are able to find disaster information, find out which companies have the most complaints, find a variety of consumer forms, and read industry bulletins.

Final considerations

Affordable auto insurance is definitely available both online and also from your neighborhood Vienna agents, and you need to price shop both to have the best rate selection. Some auto insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it's a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.