Posts Tagged ‘utah car insurance’

How to Get Low Auto Insurance Rates in Utah

Sunday, June 19th, 2011

Drivers who want to get low auto insurance rates in Utah need to be prepared to get quotes from a number of providers before making a buying decision. Each company offering coverage in the state sets its own rates for coverage independently and coverage rates will vary, depending on the provider. Spending some time shopping around for coverage will help consumers find the protection they need at an affordable price.

One thing that all Utah drivers can do to keep their insurance costs down is to maintain a clean driving record. Insurance companies offer their best rates to customers who are accident and moving violation-free.  A driver who has been involved in an accident within the past few years will probably be charged higher rates for coverage. Staying accident-free for a few years means that rates should start to come down.

Drivers who are interested in getting low auto insurance rates in Utah can consider increasing the policy deductible. When a policyholder agrees to pay more toward the cost of settling a claim personally, the insurance company is taking on less risk to insure that person and can offer lower premium rates as a result.

Consumers should also ask whether they qualify for one or more discounts offered by insurance providers. Policyholders can get price breaks for buying more than one policy (home and auto), insuring more than one vehicle or driving one equipped with an anti-theft or a safety device.

 

State Auto Insurance Basics: Utah

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

Under Utah state auto insurance laws, drivers are required to have at least a minimum level of protection in place. UT is a no-fault state for car insurance, which means that policyholders (and their passengers) who have been injured in an accident have their medical bills  covered by their own insurance company, up to a certain limit.

To cover these types of losses, drivers are required to buy Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. This portion of the policy provides compensation for “reasonable and necessary” medical expenses incurred as the result of the accident. The minimum level of PIP required by law is $3,000.

Accident victims whose injuries meet the threshold set by the state have the right to sue to collect damages. For this reason, third party liability coverage is also required by the state. The minimum level of bodily injury liability insurance required by law is $25,000 to pay for a single accident victim’s injuries and $65,000 to compensate all people injured in the same accident. This type of coverage pays for medical bills and also provides a funeral benefit if the accident is a fatal one.

Property damage liability insurance is also required under state law. This coverage is used to pay for the cost of repairs to the other driver’s vehicle, and drivers must buy at least $15,000 in protection to stay legal.

Consumers can choose to buy a policy with a higher limit if they wish to do so. This is a good idea, since the minimum level of coverage may not fully pay for damages if the accident is a serious one. The at-fault driver would be responsible for paying the difference personally in that instance.

Average Cost of Utah Car Insurance 2011

Saturday, April 30th, 2011

The average cost of car insurance coverage in Utah in 2011 was $1,231. This figure is below the national average, which is $1,441. Even though drivers in this state pay less than the national average for their coverage, it doesn’t mean that UT drivers shouldn’t be diligent about finding the best possible rates for their coverage.

One effective strategy for finding car insurance in Utah is to get quotes from a number of providers before making a decision to buy a policy. Rates for coverage can and do vary significantly, depending on the level of risk that a particular provider is willing to take. Shopping around can help a consumer find the lowest rates for his or her coverage.

Another way to find the best prices for car insurance coverage is to ask about available discounts. Many insurance providers offer preferred pricing for customers who insure more than one vehicle or who buy their car insurance and homeowner’s policy from the same company. Drivers who limit their annual mileage can save on their coverage costs, and insurance providers also give price breaks to customers who drive a car equipped with an anti-theft device or automatic seat belts.

Rather than automatically renewing coverage with the same provider each year, a better choice is to start getting quotes for coverage a couple of months before the current policy is due to expire. That will give a driver the time he or she needs to evaluate the quotes for coverage to determine which company can offer the best rates.

How to Find the Cheapest Car Insurance in UT

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

If you are looking for the cheapest car insurance coverage in UT, your first step is to educate yourself about the coverage requirements for the state. No-fault insurance is the system that is in effect, and all drivers must have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) in place to pay for their own injuries, as well as those sustained by the occupants of their vehicle.

The right to sue to collect damages for injuries, lost wages and other expenses incurred as the result of an accident is limited to a level that exceeds a certain threshold. To provide protection to the driver deemed responsible for a serious accident, bodily injury and property damage coverage are also required.

Once you know how much coverage you need, the next step to finding the cheapest car insurance in UT is to start getting quotes from a number of providers. Make a point of getting prices from companies of different sizes, including ones serving local and nationwide customers, to find the one that can offer you the best rates.

Be sure to ask about discounts that the company offers to its policyholders. Customers who buy more than one policy or who insure multiple vehicles qualify will likely qualify for preferred pricing. Other discounts may be offered for low annual mileage, paying for the policy in full or driving a car equipped with anti-theft devices.