Like many other legal issues, insurance of vehicle owners in the U.S. is completely given at the mercy of the individual states.
Therefore, in five states the auto insurance is not mandatory, and in 45 remaining compulsory. In some of them the absence of an insurance policy not only entails substantial penalty charges, but is considered penal action.
Insurance terms in different states, including the minimum sum of insurance coverage, the sum of insurance premiums, and insured risks are quite different. In one state, the car will not be registered without insurance policy of compulsory insurance. In another – without insurance one cannot get a driver’s license. In the third – the presence of an insurance policy is checked only in case of offense or accident.
Auto insurance quotes usually depend on many factors: where the insurer lives, the quantity of the miles done a day, what brand of car, the age and length of service, the selected coverage, “insurance history”, etc.
For example, the average cost of insurance in California is $ 809 and the cost for male drivers by an average of 8-10% is more expensive than for women. Age is also of great importance too. For example, drivers under 19 years old give insurance companies $ 2,200 a year, while young people who are older – from 20 to 24 – are paying two times smaller. The cheapest insurance policy is for people from 50 to 60, it costs about $ 675
In general, the price of insurance policy depends mainly on the cost of the vehicle. And the drivers of the new car models are paying far more than those who use the second-hand cars.
As a rule, the most basic insurance package can cover only a part of the damage caused in traffic accident. The rest part must be paid by the party in fault.
The factors, by which the cars are appraised, are also fairly standard. It depends on what kind of car you insure, the age, the technical condition, etc. From the point of view of safety, an old car is considered more dangerous. Next, the things which are paid attention in the evaluation: who the driver is, and what “track record” he has as a driver. Insurers have the right to formally request the local traffic police department about the reported accidents committed by the driver. The third important point: where resides the owner and where will he drive? In New York, there are more chance of an accident, in provincial town – less. The age, gender, marital status are also taken into account. Young people are considered to be less careful. Men, according to the statistics, are considered better drivers than women. Married people are more cautious than unmarried. Clients are also recommended to look at the record of service of an agent who will offer him insurance policy.
In determining auto insurance rates, there is applied a sufficient objective set of objective indicators (as opposed to the subjective evaluation of the person making the decision). The grid is distributed by the groups of vehicles, their age, the technical condition, and etc.
The average cost of insurance policy, depending on the state can range from $500 to $1200. If the customer pays immediately, then it is cheaper. One can also pay by installments. The agreement takes effect with the signing of the contract and granting an advance, and it does not matter whether the client has fully paid for insurance or not.
In the United States, the citizen has the right to give the car to another person, giving him a power of attorney, and the insurance contract remains in effect. Police does not care if the citizen uses the car of somebody else: only if it has been declared wanted.
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