How to Save on the Average Car Insurance in Ohio
When it comes to determining the average car insurance in Ohio, there are quite a lot of things to take into consideration. The main factor to keep in mind is individual people’s driving records impact what the rates will be. Not to mention much of the pricing has to do with the type of car insurance a driver wants.
One driver may simply want what the state requires as the minimum, while others want all the whistles and bells to be sure they are fully covered. Lastly, it is important to realize that even different zip codes within the state make up the type of pricing you would see. Zip codes offer insight to the likelihood of accidents, road construction and hazard rates for the area and even the level of crime in relation to theft or vandalism.
For all of these reasons, it would be hard to come up with a figure and claim this is the average car insurance in Ohio. In fact even the type of car you drive and how much you intend to drive it will sway those rates one way or another. Of course simply getting free quotes for an idea of what you could be paying is a great way to find out.
Understanding Ohio Insurance Rates
The laws of different states are what impact your car insurance rates as well. Some states require liability, while others require no fault coverage. Aside from that, the minimum amount of coverage you must have differs as well. So for Ohio, here is currently what you are looking at for the state’s minimum:
- 12.5/25/7.5 – What this represents is the amounts of car insurance coverage you need for personal injury and personal property when you get Ohio coverage. The first number, $12,5000, is the minimum amount of coverage you need for bodily injury person, per accident. The middle number means you must have $25,000 minimally for total personal injury total per accident. The final number is $7,500 and what you can expect to have to carry minimally for property damage expenses.
Compared to other states, the average car insurance in Ohio required coverage is actually a bit low. So if you are relocating to the state from somewhere else you may be pleasantly surprised by the rates you find. Keep in mind, though, that because these amounts are low you may want to increase your amounts.
If you are in an accident and are the at fault driver, any of these amounts that are exceeded will be your financial responsibility to cover. This means if you injure someone and their hospital bills go over the $12,500 mark, you will have to pay for these bills out of your own pocket. This could include the price for a long hospital stay, any surgery and follow up care such as physical therapy.
Other Things to Ponder
The good news is that, as of right now, the average car insurance in Ohio costs ranks third least expensive in the U.S. Based on research from previous years, some of the factors that impacted the overall cost of the average car insurance in Ohio were:
- Speeding
- DUI, DWI and open containers
- Distracted while driving as the result of handheld mobile devices
While there are other details that impact the state’s overall averages, these are among the highest ranking issues. Keep in mind your own driving record will impact the rates you see when you get your policy in order. Aside from just your driving history, in fact, is your own car insurance record.
If you are a new or first time driver in the state of Ohio, your rates will be higher. Your average car insurance in Ohio rates will reflect your lack of experience on the road. Of course those drivers who have let their own car insurance policy lapse for 30 days or more will find that their rates will also be higher. Allowing a lapse like this can also land you in the high risk driver classification, so be careful not to let this happen.
How to Find Savings
When it comes to car insurance, like everything else in life, most consumers are looking for the best deal possible. The problem is too many people do not use resources such as FREE online sites to get and browse through competitive rates. By settling for the first quote you get just to have a policy in place, you are taking a gamble of paying too much.
So here are some ways to also lower your rates:
- Bundle up – This means you should combine all of your polices to be under one carrier. If you have multiple cars in your household, different drivers or policies such as homeowner’s, boat or even life insurance, find out how much you could be saving by getting all of these covered by one policy provider.
- Annual tradition – Make sure you try to pay annually or even quarterly instead of monthly. Insurance policy providers offer better rates if you can pay this way instead. Not to mention if you pay your down payment up front instead of having it added to your monthly payments, you can also see serious savings on your premium rates.
- Go Green – By doing away with the paper billing your company saves money, and so do you. Switching to auto payments will more than likely earn you a fairly good discount. Set up your premium payments to go through your checking, savings or credit card and you could save a great deal of green yourself.
Don’t forget, getting quotes is also a great way to make sure you don’t overpay on the policy you already have. Even if you think you are getting the best deal possible, use a quote generator to compare rates.
If you are ready to start seeing how much you could be saving on your car insurance rates, use just your Ohio zip code to get started. From there you will find your average car insurance in Ohio may be lower than you thought.