Introduction: The Road to Affordable Luxury Car Insurance

Owning a luxury car is a dream for many, but insuring such a high-end vehicle can often feel like a nightmare. With higher repair costs and increased theft risks, luxury cars can significantly impact your insurance premiums. But don’t worry, there are strategies to help you find cheap car insurance for luxury cars. In this post, we’ll reveal some clever hacks to protect your prized possession without breaking the bank. Plus, you’ll learn how CheapCarInsurance.net makes it easy to compare rates from top insurers, all in one place.

Understanding the Cost of Insuring a Luxury Car

Luxury cars, with their cutting-edge technology and premium materials, naturally command higher insurance rates. Here’s why:

• High Repair Costs: The cost to repair luxury vehicles is significantly higher due to expensive parts and specialized labor.
• Increased Theft Risk: Luxury cars are more attractive to thieves, driving up insurance premiums.
• Advanced Technology: Innovative features add complexity and cost to potential repairs.

Average Insurance Costs for Luxury Cars

Source: Industry averages, savings based on competitive quotes comparison.

Hacks to Secure Cheap Car Insurance for Luxury Cars

1. Bundle Your Policies

One of the easiest ways to reduce your insurance premium is to bundle your auto insurance with other policies like home or life insurance. Most insurers offer substantial discounts for bundled policies.

2. Increase Your Deductible

Opting for a higher deductible can significantly lower your monthly premium. Just be sure you have enough savings to cover the deductible in case of a claim.

3. Install Anti-Theft Devices

Insurance companies often offer discounts for vehicles equipped with advanced anti-theft systems. Consider installing tracking devices or alarm systems to lower your rate.

4. Take Advantage of Usage-Based Insurance

If you don’t drive your luxury car often, usage-based insurance could be a cost-effective option. These policies use telematics to track your driving habits, charging you based on actual usage rather than estimates.

5. Shop Around and Compare Quotes

This is where CheapCarInsurance.net comes in. By comparing quotes from top local and national insurance companies, you can find the best deal tailored to your needs without visiting multiple websites.

People Also Ask: FAQs on Luxury Car Insurance

Q: Can I insure a luxury car for less than a standard car?

A: While luxury cars typically cost more to insure, using the hacks mentioned above can help you find competitive rates that might rival or even beat those of standard cars.

Q: What factors affect luxury car insurance rates?

A: Key factors include the car’s make and model, your driving history, location, and the level of coverage you choose.

Q: Is it worth getting comprehensive coverage for my luxury car?

A: Yes, comprehensive coverage protects against non-collision damages like theft and natural disasters, crucial for high-value vehicles.

Protect Your Luxury Ride and Save!

Finding cheap car insurance for luxury cars doesn’t have to be stressful. By exploring discounts, adjusting your policy, and leveraging the power of comparison shopping, you can enjoy peace of mind on the road. Head over to CheapCarInsurance.net to get your free quotes today and see how much you can save!

Empower yourself with knowledge and protect your luxury ride for less. Get started now and drive with confidence knowing you’ve got the best coverage at the best price.

Why are Pickup Trucks More Expensive to Insurance?

Pickup trucks are a popular choice for many drivers due to their durability, utility, and power. However, they often come with higher insurance rates than sedans and SUVs. If you’re a pickup truck owner or considering purchasing one, understanding the factors that contribute to increased premiums can help you find ways to save money. In this guide, we’ll break down why pickup truck insurance tends to be more expensive and share actionable tips on how to lower your rates.

Why Do Pickup Trucks Have Higher Insurance Rates?

Several factors contribute to the higher cost of insuring a pickup truck compared to other vehicle types:

1. Higher Repair & Replacement Costs

• Pickup trucks are larger and often more expensive to repair or replace after an accident.
• Advanced safety and towing technology increases repair complexity and cost.

2. Increased Risk of Accidents

• Due to their size and weight, pickup trucks can cause more severe damage in accidents, leading to higher insurance claims.
• Handling and braking may be more challenging, especially for inexperienced drivers.

3. Popularity for Commercial Use

• Many pickup trucks are used for business purposes, leading insurers to classify them as commercial vehicles, which can drive up rates.
• Commercial use often involves carrying heavy loads, increasing the risk of accidents and wear.

4. Higher Theft Rates

• Some pickup models, like the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado, are among the most stolen vehicles in the U.S., increasing comprehensive insurance costs.

5. Liability Risks Due to Towing & Hauling

• Towing heavy loads can increase the risk of accidents and liability claims.
• Hauling cargo may shift vehicle balance, impacting handling and increasing accident risk.

Average Insurance Costs for Popular Pickup Trucks

How to Lower Pickup Truck Insurance Costs

1. Compare Insurance Quotes

Instead of visiting each provider individually, use CheapCarInsurance.net to compare free quotes from multiple insurers at once.

2. Choose a Model with Lower Insurance Costs

• Compact trucks like the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger generally have lower premiums than full-size pickups.
• Avoid models with high theft rates if possible.

3. Increase Your Deductible

Opting for a higher deductible can lower your monthly premium, though it means paying more out of pocket in case of an accident.

4. Take Advantage of Discounts

• Safe Driver Discount: Maintaining a clean driving record can reduce costs.
• Bundling Policies: Combine auto and home insurance for discounts.
• Low Mileage Discount: If you don’t drive your truck often, you may qualify for savings.
• Defensive Driving Course Discount: Completing an approved course can lower your rate.

5. Consider Usage-Based Insurance

Some insurers offer telematics-based policies that track driving behavior. If you drive safely, you could receive significant discounts.

6. Park in a Secure Location

Parking in a garage or secured lot can lower theft risk, reducing comprehensive coverage costs.

7. Limit Business Use

If you don’t need your truck for work, avoid classifying it as a commercial vehicle to prevent higher insurance rates.

FAQs: Pickup Truck Insurance Costs

Why is pickup truck insurance higher than sedan insurance?

Pickup trucks are more expensive to repair, often used for towing or hauling, and have higher accident severity, leading to increased premiums.

Which pickup truck is the cheapest to insure?

The Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger typically have lower insurance costs due to their size and safety features.

Does adding a towing package increase insurance rates?

Yes, adding towing capabilities can increase rates since it raises the risk of liability claims.

Can I get commercial insurance for my pickup truck?

Yes, but commercial insurance tends to be more expensive. If you only use your truck for personal use, ensure it’s classified correctly to avoid unnecessary costs.

How much can I save by comparing quotes?

Shopping around can save drivers hundreds of dollars per year. Use CheapCarInsurance.net to compare multiple quotes and find the best deal.

Get a Free Quote Today

Don’t overpay for pickup truck insurance! Compare rates from top insurers in one place and start saving today. Click below to get your free quote!

Understanding why pickup trucks have higher insurance rates can help you take the right steps to lower costs. Whether you’re looking for a new policy or want to reduce your current premiums, comparing quotes is the best way to find affordable coverage. Start saving now!

Finding the perfect car for a first-time driver is a major decision. Safety, affordability, and insurance costs all play crucial roles. First-time drivers, especially teens and young adults, often face higher insurance rates due to inexperience. However, choosing the right car can significantly impact the cost of insurance. In this guide, we’ll explore the best cars for new drivers, the factors affecting their insurance costs, and how to get the cheapest car insurance for new drivers.

Why Insurance Costs More for First-Time Drivers & Teens

New drivers typically face higher insurance premiums because:

• They have less driving experience, making them statistically more prone to accidents.
• They lack an established driving record, which insurers use to assess risk.
• Many first-time drivers are teens, a demographic associated with higher accident rates.

However, choosing a safe, reliable, and insurance-friendly car can help lower costs. Let’s explore the best options.

Top 5 Cars for First-Time Drivers

1. Honda Civic

• Why It’s Great: Reliable, fuel-efficient, and packed with safety features.
• Average Annual Insurance Cost: $1,500–$2,000

2. Toyota Corolla

• Why It’s Great: Affordable, excellent crash-test ratings, and low maintenance costs.
• Average Annual Insurance Cost: $1,400–$1,900

3. Mazda3

• Why It’s Great: Stylish, fuel-efficient, and high safety ratings.
• Average Annual Insurance Cost: $1,600–$2,200

4. Subaru Impreza

• Why It’s Great: Standard all-wheel drive, top safety scores, and dependable.
• Average Annual Insurance Cost: $1,500–$2,100

5. Hyundai Elantra

• Why It’s Great: Budget-friendly, great fuel economy, and tech features.
• Average Annual Insurance Cost: $1,400–$1,800

Comparison Table: Best Cars for First-Time Drivers & Their Insurance Costs

How to Find Cheap Car Insurance for New Drivers

1. Compare Quotes from Multiple Providers

Instead of visiting each insurance provider’s website individually, use CheapCarInsurance.net to compare free quotes from top insurers in one place.

2. Choose the Right Coverage Level

While full coverage is recommended, liability-only insurance may be an option for older, lower-value vehicles.

3. Take Advantage of Discounts

New drivers can lower their insurance costs with:

• Good Student Discounts: For maintaining a B average or higher.
• Defensive Driving Courses: Some insurers offer discounts for completing an accredited course.
• Bundling Policies: Combining auto insurance with a parent’s policy can lead to savings.

4. Opt for a Higher Deductible

A higher deductible means lower premiums, though it increases out-of-pocket costs in case of an accident.

5. Drive a Safe, Low-Risk Car

Vehicles with high safety ratings and lower repair costs tend to have lower insurance premiums.

FAQs: Cheap Car Insurance for New Drivers

What is the cheapest car insurance for first-time drivers?

The cheapest insurance varies by location and driver profile. The best way to find affordable coverage is by comparing free quotes from multiple providers.

How much does insurance cost for a first-time driver?

On average, first-time drivers pay between $1,500 and $3,000 annually, depending on the car, location, and coverage level.

Should parents add their teen driver to their policy?

Yes, adding a teen to a parent’s existing policy is often cheaper than purchasing a separate policy.

What’s the best way to lower car insurance for new drivers?

Comparing quotes, choosing a safe vehicle, maintaining good grades, and completing defensive driving courses can all help reduce costs.

Is full coverage necessary for first-time drivers?

Full coverage is recommended for newer vehicles, while liability-only coverage may suffice for older, lower-value cars.

Get a Free Quote Today

Finding cheap car insurance for new drivers doesn’t have to be difficult. By comparing cheap car insurance quotes from multiple insurers, you can secure the best rates in minutes. Click below to get started and see how much you can save!

By choosing the right car and taking smart steps to reduce insurance costs, first-time drivers can enjoy safe, affordable driving. Ready to find the best insurance rates? Get your free quote today!

When shopping for car insurance, you might be surprised to learn that your credit score can significantly impact your premium. While it may seem unrelated to your driving ability, insurers use credit-based insurance scores to assess risk and determine rates.

In this article, we’ll break down how your credit score influences car insurance prices, why insurers consider it, and steps you can take to improve your score—potentially lowering your premium in the process.

Most insurance companies in the U.S. (except in states where it’s prohibited) use a credit-based insurance score to predict the likelihood of a policyholder filing a claim. Studies have shown a correlation between credit history and risk—meaning individuals with lower credit scores tend to file more claims, leading to higher premiums.

How Insurers Use Credit Scores

Insurers don’t look at your traditional FICO credit score; instead, they use a credit-based insurance score, which factors in:

• Payment history: Late payments or delinquencies can raise your rates.
• Credit utilization: A high percentage of credit usage may indicate financial strain.
• Length of credit history: Longer credit histories are often viewed as more stable.
• Types of credit: A healthy mix of credit accounts can be beneficial.
• Recent inquiries: Applying for multiple loans or credit cards in a short period may negatively affect your score.

States That Restrict Credit-Based Insurance Scores

Not all states allow insurers to use credit scores when setting rates. As of 2024, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan prohibit the use of credit scores in determining auto insurance rates. If you live in one of these states, your premium will be based on other factors, such as driving history and location.

How Much Can a Poor Credit Score Cost You?

The difference in car insurance costs between good and bad credit can be significant. According to studies, drivers with poor credit can pay 50% to 100% more for car insurance compared to those with excellent credit.

For example:

• A driver with excellent credit might pay $1,200 per year for car insurance.
• A driver with poor credit could see that rate jump to $2,400 or more per year.

That’s a $1,200 difference—simply due to credit score.

Visual Representation of Credit Score Impact on Car Insurance Rates:

How to Improve Your Credit Score and Lower Your Insurance Rates

The good news? Your credit score isn’t permanent. By taking proactive steps, you can improve your credit score and potentially lower your car insurance premiums. Here’s how:

1. Pay Your Bills on Time

Your payment history makes up 35% of your credit score, making it the most important factor. Setting up automatic payments for credit cards, loans, and utility bills can help ensure you never miss a due date.

2. Reduce Your Credit Utilization

Credit utilization—the percentage of your available credit that you’re using—should be kept below 30%, but ideally under 10%. Pay down credit card balances to improve your score over time.

3. Avoid Opening Too Many New Accounts

Every time you apply for credit, it results in a hard inquiry, which can temporarily lower your score. Limit new credit applications unless necessary.

4. Check Your Credit Report for Errors

Mistakes on your credit report could be dragging down your score. Obtain free annual credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com and dispute any inaccuracies with the credit bureaus.

5. Keep Old Accounts Open

The length of your credit history accounts for 15% of your score. Closing old accounts can shorten your history and lower your score, so keep them open if possible.

6. Diversify Your Credit Mix

Having a mix of credit types (credit cards, auto loans, mortgages) can improve your score. If you only have one type of credit, consider adding another responsibly.

7. Become an Authorized User

If you have a trusted friend or family member with a good credit history, being added as an authorized user on their credit card can help improve your score.

Can You Ask Your Insurer to Recalculate Your Rate?

Yes! Once your credit score improves, you can request a reassessment of your insurance rate. Some insurers automatically adjust premiums at renewal, while others require you to reach out and request a review.

If your current insurer doesn’t offer a lower rate, consider shopping around for a new policy. Many companies provide free quotes, allowing you to compare options and find the best rate for your improved credit score.

Final Thoughts

Your credit score is a crucial factor in determining your car insurance premium. While it may seem unfair, insurers use it as a risk indicator. The good news is that by improving your credit score, you can lower your insurance costs over time.

If you’re currently paying high premiums due to poor credit, take action today. Implement smart financial habits, monitor your credit, and explore affordable car insurance options tailored to your needs.

Need help finding cheap car insurance? Compare quotes now on CheapCarInsurance.net and start saving today!

By Craig Guillot

Autonomous vehicles may be susceptible to occasional crashes, but those crashes tend to be less severe and are usually the fault of human drivers running into them. A recent study found self-driving vehicles have lower crash rates than cars driven by humans. Researchers say there isn’t enough data to produce conclusive results but the data they do have shows computers may drive better than us.

The latest study, “Automated Vehicle Crash Rate Comparison Using Naturalistic Data,” was conducted by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and commissioned by Google. Myra Blanco, director of VTTI’s Center for Automated Vehicle Systems, says the report compared data from the Google Self Driving car project with national crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It found that self-driving cars have a rate of 3.2 crashes per million miles compared to a crash rate of 4.2 million miles for driver-operated vehicles.
Because data from self-driving vehicles is limited, and because a large number of crashes go unreported, VTTI researchers had to extrapolate and standardize the data. “As a research study, it’s not perfect and there are limitations, but it’s a way to start looking at the trends,” says Blanco.

The results contrast to another study released in October 2015 by the University of Michigan. “A Preliminary Analysis of Real-World Crashes Involving Self-Driving Vehicles,” found that for every million miles driven, self-driving vehicles had 9.1 crashes, compared to only 1.9 crashes for manned vehicles. Brandon Schoettle, Project Manager at the Transportation Research Institute at the University of Michigan, says it doesn’t necessarily mean the vehicles are less safe because humans were to blame in almost all of those crashes.

Schoettle says most autonomous vehicle crashes were minor “bumps” resulting from a human driver rear-ending them at slow speeds. He says humans aren’t accustomed to how self-driving vehicles drive because they “conservatively err on the side of caution” in almost any situation. Autonomous vehicles typically drive slower, brake earlier, and accelerate at a slower pace. “They drive like you might say an old lady drives. They drive extra safe and most [human drivers] don’t anticipate it,” says Schoettle.

Authors of both studies caution there could be large margins of error and that it remains difficult to make comparisons with limited data on self-driving vehicles. Researchers at the University of Michigan only had 1.2 million miles of data for 50 such vehicles, compared to 3 trillion annual miles with 269 million traditional vehicles.
Authors of both studies say there are anomalies in the data as autonomous vehicles are required to report every accident in California no matter how small whereas according to a survey by the NHTSA, 30% of accidents go unreported.

David Alexander, senior analyst at Navigant Research, says self-driving vehicles have the potential to be safer than human drivers. Autonomous features, such as intuitive cruise control, lane departure warning, and blind spot detection, are already on the market and improve drivers’ response times and awareness. “These things make cars safer because they’re operating all the time and can eliminate some human errors,” he says.
Both studies revealed that self-driving vehicles may have lower rates of serious accidents. Schoettle says there hasn’t been an incident of an autonomous vehicle involved in a head-on collision or a collision with a pedestrian or cyclist. “These vehicles seem to be good at avoiding the most serious types of crashes,” he said.

A primary benefit of autonomous features is that computers can’t get tired, distracted, or careless, says Alexander. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 94% of all crashes are attributed to human error. Computers can also, within nanoseconds, take precise measurements around speed, time, distance, breaking power, and turning power to instantly engage in the most optimal maneuvers. “Individuals suffer from all sorts of distractions, from weather, children, dogs, the radio, eating or texting. Technology doesn’t get distracted or careless,” says Alexander.

Insurance companies are already contemplating that self-driving vehicles may make the roads safer. PTOLEMUS Consulting Group forecasts in the Useage-Based Insurance (UBI) study that the penetration of autonomous vehicles by 2030 will reduce the number of accidents by 30% and lead to a significant reduction in insurance premiums for drivers.

PTOLEMUS research and marketing director Thomas Hallauer says the slow integration of autonomous features are already having an impact on safety. He says frontal collision avoidance and cruise systems could reduce losses by up to 50% and that “the crash-less vehicle will be on the road long before the driver-less one.”

One caveat is there has yet to be comprehensive testing for these vehicles operating in “real world conditions,” says Schoettle. They have not been extensively tested in accident-prone situations such as rush hour traffic in congested busy cities with lots of pedestrians and aggressive drivers, or in heavy downpours, high winds, and snowstorms. “Most of the miles have been in nice conditions in sunny parts of the country. There has been some testing but it hasn’t done well so far,” he says.

Another limitation is that computers can’t engage in human decision making and judgment calls, says Schoettle. Computers can’t make eye contact with other drivers or pedestrians to gauge their intentions. Self-driving vehicles can’t yet optimally perform at four-way stops, a person standing on side the road, another driver waving a vehicle into traffic, congested areas with a large number of pedestrians. “A person might be able to make eye contact and gauge a persons’ intentions but a self-driving vehicle can’t,” he says.

Alexander believes that self-driving vehicles by their nature will be safer because consumers and regulators will hold them to higher standards. Ongoing research will also help programmers and car manufacturers incrementally improve safety and teach self-driving vehicles to better respond to human drivers on the road. “These vehicles collect a lot of data and I think moving forward, ongoing testing and studies will continually help make them safer,” says Blanco.

By Aaron Crowe

Going to an auto mechanic shouldn’t be complicated. After all, you’re just taking your car in to be repaired, and fixing it should be easy and straightforward, right?
Sometimes it is. But during those times when the mechanic is trying to explain what’s wrong and how much more it will cost than what you originally thought it would, it can turn into a confusing time where you don’t know if you’re being taken advantage of because you don’t know enough about cars.
And you shouldn’t have to be. You just want the car fixed and running well, at a reasonable price. To help ensure you’re not getting ripped off, there are some questions you should ask a mechanic whenever you take your car in. Here are 11:

1.  How much will the diagnostics cost?

This is like first asking your doctor how much the tests will cost before he gives you a diagnosis for why you feel ill. While it can seem like an odd question because you’ve gone to the trouble of taking your car to the mechanic, and you obviously want it repaired, you don’t want to pay too much for tests. But if it’s too high, it’s an opportunity to shop around for better prices.
Depending on your state and the auto repair shop, diagnostic tests can cost $100 to $200, says Bert Gagnon of Neon Productions Radio.

2.  Are the mechanics ASE certified?

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence is a non-profit organization that has trained more than 325,000 automotive professionals nationwide and given them the ASE Blue Seal of Excellence. Certified mechanics must be retested every five years to keep up with changing technology. Look for the updated certificates on the wall of your auto shop’s office.

3.  Can I get a written, out-the-door estimate?

Always ask for a written estimate of how much the repairs should cost. This should include parts, labor, taxes and any discounts. Always give them a phone number to reach you to approve another repair that might be needed, and make sure they give you an estimate of the added cost.

4. Are there extra fees that might accompany a service?

Some dealers will charge “miscellaneous fees” for things, or will give you an estimate for replacing tires but won’t include the tire disposal fee in the estimate, says Rob Infantino, CEO of Openbay, an online marketplace for vehicle owners to cross-shop, book and pay for local auto repair and maintenance.
“Ask for the estimate first, then ask about any hidden fees on top of that,” Infantino says. “If the shop hasn’t disclosed all the details in the initial quotation, that may be cause for conern.”

5. Is this part still under warranty?

If you bought your car recently or just had work done, many of your car’s parts could still be covered, says Chuck Frizell, general sales manager at David Stanley Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Midwest City, Okla. You can also check with the auto manufacturer, and mechanics and dealership service departments will sometimes have that information posted in their shops.

6. Is OEM repair information used?

In order to do a correct and safe repair, the technician should access OEM service and repair information, says Bob Keith, a multi store director with Carstar, an auto body repair company, and the head of I-CAR, which provides technical certification for collision repair professionals.
OEM is short for “original equipment manufacturer” of a replacement part made by the manufacturer of the original part. In other words, it’s an auto part used when the car was first built.
You may also want to ask if used or aftermarket parts are being used, and if so, if the non-factory parts meet OEM standards for safety and performance, says David Smith of Auto Damage Experts.
If you want factory parts, or OEM parts, and your insurance company wants non-OEM parts, ask the car shop to notify you before performing repairs, Smith says.

7. Does your mechanic specialize in my car’s make?

This might seem like a no-brainer, but specialization can be important. The Chrysler dealer that Frizell works at obviously works on Chryslers. But if you drive a BMW, find a garage that specializes in German makes, or a mechanic who knows a lot about Toyotas if you drive a Toyota.

8. What repairs are necessary and are there alternative solutions?

Ask the mechanic what work they’d do if it were their car. “Understand what repairs are absolutely necessary and which ones are just recommended,” says Andrew Bradway, head auto warranty administrator at DriveTime Automotive Group, a used car dealer and financing company.
For alternative solutions, there may not be a way to get your car back on the road other than replacing the worn out part, Bradway says. But they may be able to use third-party or used parts to help reduce costs, he says.

9. Can you show me what’s wrong?

If a mechanic insists you need extra work done, ask them to show you the wear and tear on the part they recommend you replace, Infantino says. If you ask to see the holes when told you car needs a new exhaust, and the mechanic balks, then you should be wary, he says.

10.  When will the repairs be done?

Get an idea of when your car will be ready to pick up, and ensure that they call you to approve any extra repairs beyond the ones you’ve already approved. You’ll want to know how long you’ll be without your car so you can make other accommodations. Also ask if they can provide a ride to your work or home while your car is in the shop.

11. What repairs do I have coming up?

While you shouldn’t expect your mechanic to predict the future, they should have a good idea of the potential repairs and major maintenance costs you have coming up.
“Knowing what the parts and labor fees are ahead of time will allow you to budget for them and avoid sticker shock,” Bradway says. “This will also allow you to shop around for the best deals for other reputable repair shops.”
An honest mechanic will help you prioritize jobs within your budget, Infantino says, and will help you set up a calendar so you know when to replace specific parts.
Getting these questions answered won’t make you a mechanic overnight, but they should help the average consumer become more knowledgeable so they aren’t taken advantage of by a mechanic.

By Aaron Crowe
The poor economy is causing more people to keep their old cars longer, which could lead to more trips to an auto shop. Those bills can get expensive, but repair costs can be cut if you’re willing to spend some time and effort shopping for parts for your car.
That can include going to a junk yard and pulling used parts out of a car, buying aftermarket parts that don’t come from the car’s maker, or buying used parts online. If you’re worried about keeping your car’s warranty in good standing, you may need to buy OEM parts, or “original equipment manufacturer” parts made by the cars maker.
The savings can be substantial — a few hundred dollars — since auto shops markup the costs of parts by 100 to 200 percent, says Rob Infantino, CEO of Openbay, an online marketplace for vehicle owners to cross-shop, book and pay for local auto repair and maintenance.
Saving $15 or so on a minor part probably isn’t worth your time, but saving $300 to $500 on a part that can cost $750 to $1,000 probably is. Or maybe it isn’t if you don’t have the time or expertise to find the correct part, and would rather take your car to a mechanic and have them fix it without you having do deal with any hassles.

A DIY hybrid

Some auto shops, however, are specializing in do-it-yourselfers who want to buy the parts and only pay for the labor. B.Y.O.P. Automotive in Montgomery, Alabama, encourages vehicle owners to bring their own parts and only pay the auto shop for its labor.
“A lot of people are trying to save money these days,” says Valerie Sheperd, owner of the Montgomery store and three others.

Customers save up to 200 percent, says Sheperd, offering an example that can save more than that: A water pump that can cost $125 at an auto repair shop can actually cost $25. Her store’s labor is also cheaper, she says, at $60 to $92.50 an hour, depending on the job, versus $85 to $135 an hour at a repair shop that sells parts. The shop can also get parts for customers.
Before buying parts, B.Y.O.P. customers’ cars are given a diagnostic test to determine what’s wrong, and then the customer is sent out to buy parts if they want to. If they buy a used part that the mechanic can’t get to work, they’re still charged for the labor.
“If the part doesn’t work, you’re still responsible for the labor because we put the part on,” Sheperd says.

Mary Chase, a public interest attorney in Oak Park, Ill., who hasn’t used B.Y.O.P. Automotive but has paid mechanics for their labor to install parts she’s bought elsewhere, says she usually saves 40 to 60 percent off the cost of a new part when buying used parts for her 1997 Saturn. The biggest savings, Chase says, was when she paid $1,400 for a used engine that would have cost her $5,000 to $7,500 new.

“It has run flawlessly, and has saved me lots of money due to the high fuel economy,” she says.
Chase has also bought parts from junkyards, usually saving 20-25 percent of the cost of the new part. These have included a car radio, mirrors, console, doors and windshield. Many of those she puts on herself, but for complicated parts she hires a mechanic at a local auto shop that allows used parts to be brought in by customers. She says she only buys parts that include a warranty, and is picky about not buying a part that has too high or too low mileage.

Potential for problems

One of the biggest problems of providing your own parts for repair is they may not work, says David Smith, national operations manager at Auto Damage Experts, a vehicle appraisal business. If they do work after installation but later fail, you could end up in a dispute between the mechanic and the parts provider over who is at fault.
Unless you know what you’re doing, you may buy the wrong part and have to spend time going back and forth between the supply and repair stores. Besides, Smith says, an auto repair shop is likely to get a price break from its parts supplier that a walk-in customer won’t get. With a part provided by the auto shop, enforcing a warranty will likely be a lot easier, he says.
“The consumer doesn’t have the buying power that a shop has to offer a warranty,” he says.
What consumers should do, Smith says, is call an auto parts store for a price on the part they need, and then call their mechanic and ask if they’ll match that price. That way you’re no longer assuming all of the risk if the part fails, he says.
“You’re better off letting a professional do what they do,” he says.
The majority of auto repair shops prefer not to let customers bring in their own parts because there isn’t much margin in it unless the shop isn’t busy, Infantino says.
A repair shop won’t offer a warranty on the part being brought in, and it can be difficult for a car owner to know exactly which part to get, he says.
“Later model cars are more complex and it’s going to be harder for you to diagnose what part failed,” Infantino says.

By Aaron Crowe

Whether driving to Mexico for a weekend trip to the beach, an extended holiday trip to see family, or a six-month winter stay in retirement, having auto insurance specifically for driving in Mexico is mandatory.
Navigating the country’s insurance laws can be difficult, but it basically comes down to two things you’ll need and one you won’t. You’ll need a permit to drive beyond most border towns inside Mexico, and you’ll need auto insurance from an insurance company based in Mexico.
What you won’t need is your U.S. auto insurance policy, because it has no effect in Mexico and won’t provide any coverage there.
The days of “self-negotiating” your way out of trouble with some cash after a car accident there are long over, says Jim Labelle, president of International Insurance Group, a U.S. company based in Flagstaff, Ariz., that sells auto insurance for Mexico-based insurers.
Insurance rates vary based on the vehicle’s value and coverage, but most policies that Labelle’s group sells cost $15 to $20 a day for most buyers, he says. “Snowbirds” or others going there for six months or so would pay $400 to $500 a year for a policy, he says.

What type of coverage is needed?

Comprehensive and collision coverage aren’t mandatory in Mexico, but drivers will probably want to buy enough such coverage so they can be reimbursed if their vehicle is damaged, Labelle says.
“Whatever level of insurance coverage you’re getting in the U.S., we recommend you still get it in Mexico,” he says.
In January, liability insurance will be mandatory for drivers in Mexico. It can cost $300,000, for example, to settle an insurance claim if a U.S. driver negligently killed someone in an accident in Mexico, Labelle says.
Liability insurance will cover you for property damage caused by your vehicle, legal liability for injuries or death of people not in your vehicle, and medical expenses for you or other people in your vehicle.
Mexican auto insurance is needed from border to border in the country, a change from a few years ago when most border cities within Mexico were exempt.
All vehicles must have such insurance, whether the cars are leased, rented or privately owned. If car payments are still being made and you don’t own the car outright, your lender may require you to get its permission before driving in Mexico.

Temporary import permit also required

If you’re planning to drive 20 kilometers beyond the border into Mexico, a temporary import permit is required by Mexico. This law is partly meant to prevent stolen vehicles from entering the country.
A permit costs about $50 and can only be bought from the Mexico government vehicle import website. A credit card deposit of $200 to $400, depending on the age of the vehicle, is also required, and is refunded when the permit is canceled. The permit is valid for up to six months for multiple border crossings.
To get a permit, you’ll be required to show proof of citizenship with a passport or birth certificate, an immigration form for your trip, vehicle registration or other document certifying legal ownership of the car, a valid driver’s license, and an international credit card issued outside of Mexico.
Whatever type of auto insurance policy you buy for a trip to Mexico, Labelle says having a few copies on hand in case police ask to see it is a good idea. Keep a copy in the car and one with your passport, he recommends.
Having an extra insurance policy in hand to show authorities after an accident is a lot less hassle than spending a night in jail while they sort out the details of if you have Mexican auto insurance or not.
 
Aaron Crowe is a journalist who covers the auto industry for CheapCarInsurance.net.

By Annmarie Geddes Baribeau

When it comes to purchasing auto insurance, knowing the factors that influence premium can help you get the best coverage at a competitive price.
Most states generally require owners of vehicles to purchase coverage. By paying premium on an automobile insurance policy, you relying on an insurance company to cover the costs, minus the deductible, should you or your vehicle be involved in an accident. Automobile insurance can also cover damages to your car from exposures including theft, weather and vandalism.
To be competitive, insurers charge the most reasonable premium possible to attract and keep customers while assuring they can pay future claim costs.
When shopping around, you might notice insurers charge different premiums for the same coverage. These quotes reflect how each insurer uses its own “secret sauce” to determine the potential riskiness of a policyholder and his or her covered vehicle(s).
For insurers, all secret sauces are based on a proprietary blend of statistics, other data and assumptions. To predict the likelihood and seriousness of potential claims, insurers vary on both the factors they use and how much emphasize to give them.
These factors are:

1. Your driving record and experience

Driving records are obvious indicators of potential risk and are generally given greater emphasis than other factors.
Your driving record is a history of violations, convictions and collisions. The fewer violations, the lower the premium. Your record also indicates a lack of experience. Since new and inexperienced drivers are more likely to be in an accident, coverage costs more. The good news is that insurers honor records that improve over time.

2. Your age

People younger than 25 years old are considered inexperienced drivers with a greater accident potential. For some insurers, the age factor is about the same for the 26 to 65 age range. Since senior citizens tend to have more accidents, their rates tend to be higher.

3. Your gender

Insurers see inexperienced and younger male drivers as a greater risk than their female counterparts. While the distinction for younger drivers is shrinking, it is still significant. For experienced drivers, female drivers are also considered less risky, but insurers do not see gender differences as significant.

4. Your station in life

Statistics show that married drivers are less likely to crash than those who are single. Mothers are also considered to be safer drivers. Singles can improve their premiums with a fantastic individual driving record.

5. How much you drive

Insurance is based on the concept of exposure. That is, the more you drive, the more likely you will be in a car accident. So if you drive your car “to work,” which insurers generally define as driving more than 15,000 miles a year, you pay more for greater exposure to potential car accidents. When driving for “pleasure use,” which generally less than 15,000 miles annually, premium should be lower.
Drivers in highly populated areas have higher auto insurance premiums due to greater traffic exposure. That’s why urban drivers pay a higher auto insurance price than those in small towns or rural areas.
Insurers also know that most accidents occur within a couple miles of places where people drive frequently. That includes your home and places you run errands, such as shopping malls and grocery stores. What insurers do not know is how often you make these trips.
That’s where telematics come in. For drivers who agree to have special equipment installed in their car, insurers can monitor how many short trips are being made and other driving behavior. Insurers including Progressive and State Farm are offering “usage based” programs that give good drivers up to double-digit percentage reductions of their auto insurance bills.

6. Location. Location. Location.

Where you park your car is also telling of potential auto insurance claims. By definition, the less criminal activity, the safer the neighborhood and the less likely you will file a claim for vandalism or theft. ZIP codes can be another factor, though some insurers are “clustering” locations with similar risk in different cities.
Besides where you drive and park your car, insurers also look at the actual cost for covering claims in your area. Medical and car repair bills can cost more in some locations. Areas that are heavily litigious, known for a greater prevalence of insurance fraud and are vulnerable to extreme weather can also impact potential costs.

7. Gaps in insurance coverage

Most auto insurers consider drivers with gaps in their auto insurance coverage as potentially riskier to insure than drivers who have consistently maintained coverage.

8. Your credit score

Research shows there is a correlation between credit characteristics, as reflected in credit-based insurance scores, and insurance losses. Statistically, people who have a poor insurance credit score are more likely to file a claim.
Most insurers are using credit-based insurance scores as a factor in determining the risk of policyholders. These scores are based on information including: payment history, bankruptcies, collections, outstanding debt, length of credit history, new credit and credit risk. Regular, on-time credit card and mortgage payments affect a score positively, while late payments affect a score negatively.

9. Your vehicle(s)

Basically, the more it costs to repair or replace your car, the higher the premiums. Fully loaded sports cars, for example, are more likely to get stolen. Common family cars can also be targets to thieves who want to sell parts.
Vehicles that have favorable crash safety test scores are likely to cost less to insure. Engine sizes, even among the same makes and models, can also impact insurance premiums.
If you are driving an old car or junker that will not require replacement, you can opt out of comprehensive and collision coverage for it. If you do, however, replacement costs will be your responsibility.

10. Other Coverage You Purchase

Most insurers provide discounts if you also purchase other types insurance from them. Typically, this includes umbrella, homeowners or renters coverage.

11. Your coverage and deductible.

Of course, the more insurance you buy, the more it costs. To reduce premiums, you can offer to share the cost per claim by agreeing to a deductible. The higher the deductible, the more you save in premiums.
Just determine how much money you can afford to pay when filing a claim – generally $500 or $1,000 – and your insurer will adjust your premium accordingly. Also be sure if you need add-ons such as vehicle rental coverage. If your family can get by with a second car or you are a member of organizations like AAA, you may not need it.

Conclusion

When you think about it, the factors that insurers consider are common sense and/or statistically proven to predict the likelihood and cost of potential claims. The factors you can control, such as having a stellar driving record, maintaining coverage and responsibly paying your bills are some of the best ways to keep your car insurance costs at bay.

 
It may be infuriating — and expensive — to get a traffic ticket, but if you are diligent there may be hope for you even after the officer hands you a citation.
That is because, according to motorist advocates, if you do a little homework and fight your ticket, you can often get that ticket reduced or even wiped from your record.
There are no direct statistics tracking how many people win cases in traffic court nationwide, said John Bowman, communications director for the drivers’ advocacy group, the National Motorists Association, based in Waunakee, Wisconsin.
“So, it’s hard to predict how any individual case will turn out,” Bowman said. “But I can tell you that if you don’t show up, you have lost already.”
A traffic ticket is costly, with fines sometimes reaching into the four-digits.
And the costs of a traffic citation don’t end once you pay your fine. After the citation makes its way onto your driving record, you will also likely be facing an increased monthly insurance bill.
 
Ticket Costs
What that specific repercussion will be depends on a lot of factors, said Gary Stephenson, a spokesman for State Farm Mutual Automotive Insurance Co., based in Bloomington, Illinois.
Stephenson said insurance companies take a number of factors into consideration when considering your citation, such as whether this was your first ticket or fourth, and how large the fine was.
“Flagrant violations could be viewed differently than very ‘minor’ violations,” Stephenson said.  “There is no cookie-cutter answer.”?
But on the other end of the spectrum, a third ticket in as many months may end up causing the company to cancel your insurance altogether.
While each incident may have different repercussions, one rule of thumb used by traffic attorneys and advocates is that your insurance will go up by the formula of (Your Fine + $50) x 5.
So, a $100 fine could end up costing you $750 or more of increased insurance costs over the next few years.
And if your job is driving, such as a commercial trucker, getting a moving violation may even cost you your job.
 
Ready to Rumble
Once you get that ticket, Bowman said your options are “fairly limited.”
“You can pay and move on and watch your insurance go up, or you can fight it,” Bowman said.
The National Motorists Association estimates that only about 5 percent of all drivers who get a traffic ticket bother to contest it in court.
“Those are the people who will come out ahead,” Bowman said.
The National Motorists Association published an e-book for its members with strategies of fighting a traffic citation in court. The association also has a network of members across the nation who volunteer to advise motorists who want to fight their ticket in court.
The only way to win in court is to mount a logical and organized defense, said “Radar” Roy Reyer, speeding ticket avoidance tactics and product expert.
Reyer is the publisher of RadarBusters.com and wrote the book “How to Beat Your Speeding Ticket in Court and Win.”  He is also a retired sheriff lieutenant and was a certified radar and laser instructor who “taught thousands of cops to write tickets.”
He said that to win, you need to do a “big homework assignment.”
“It is definitely going to take time to fight it properly,” Reyer said.
If motorists have any hopes of actually winning in court, they need to do better than just showing up and saying “trust me your honor, I wasn’t speeding.”
“Who will the judge believe,” Reyer said. “The officer trained in police radar and speed recognition, or someone who is just driving down the street?”
 
For the Record
But that doesn’t mean that motorists should abandon hope of beating a ticket in court.
“There are things that you can do to prepare — standard defenses,” Bowman said.
Discovery is when your homework begins.
“Subpoena everything you can,” Reyer said. “You want records, the manual for the radar gun, the officer’s training records — everything.”
One common defense is challenging the calibration record of the radar or laser gun.
“Most people consider radar guns as infallible, but they do make errors and so do the operators,” Bowman said.
Every radar gun needs to be calibrated at the beginning and end of every shift, Reyer said.
“A lot of cops don’t remember to do that,” Reyer said.
Reyer said he is helping a man in Connecticut who is fighting a ticket right now who was able to prove that the department hadn’t calibrated the gun in three years.
“And that goes against the standards published by the International Association of Chiefs of Police,” Reyer said. “That is powerful and damning evidence.”
Officers typically use a special tuning fork to establish that calibration. And that is another area that motorists should subpoena.
“If you drop a tuning fork, it is now out of frequency, and that is one of the items that has to be calibrated,” Reyer said.
And even if everything has been calibrated, every officer writing tickets should also prove they are certified to use the equipment with which they are recording speed.
“I am constantly surprised by how many agencies forget to certify,” Reyer said.
However, calibration and certification are now common tactics, which means many agencies are now more diligent, Bowman said.
And that is when motorists need to move to less common areas to protest the fine.
“It never hurts to go back to the scene of the incident and take down some notes and take some photographs,” Bowman said. “Was there a speed limit sign? Was it visible? Was it properly posted with the proper speed? Were there characteristics that would hinder the officers’ ability to see you?”
You should also scour the ticket itself for typos or incorrect details. Also check for nearby power substations or power lines, which might interfere with readings.
And any evidence will also help, such as GPS readings, dash cams, or anything else that might prove that you were not, in fact speeding.
 
Day in court
But If you just show up in court and argue, you will lose.
“It comes down to who has the better evidence,” Reyer said. “I used to laugh my ass off because people didn’t prepare. They showed up in court without records or documents, and it was just his word against yours.”
It is also important to dress to impress and to stay calm and respectful while you are in the courtroom, and you never want to lie, which could earn you a contempt of court charge.
And if you are lucky, sometimes merely showing up means that you win.
“If the officer does not show up, move for dismissal. Most times it will be granted,” Bowman said.
You can also negotiate with the prosecutor or magistrate for a plea deal that would allow you to pay your fine but keep the moving violation off your record.
“Most people just don’t want those points,” Bowman said. “They are happy to pay if they can drop the points, and lets be honest, all the courts want is the money, so they will bargain with you.”
But none of that is possible if you don’t show up to fight in the first place.

By Aaron Crowe

Knowing if your car needs more than basic liability insurance can be as simple as knowing how old your car is.
One rule of thumb is that if you drive an old car and it’s paid for, you don’t need much more than liability insurance, which costs less than comprehensive coverage. But it can be a bit more complicated than that, depending on state laws where you live, and your needs for insurance protection.
Insurance is meant to protect against a devastating financial loss, so determining if carrying comprehensive and collision coverage, in addition to liability coverage, should be weighed against the cost of replacing or repairing the car and how big of a financial burden that would be, says Eric Stauffer of ExpertInsuranceReviews.com.
If you can’t easily repair or replace your car out-of-pocket, then you’ll need comp and collision.
Before getting into more detail about when to have certain types of insurance, an explanation of insurance terms should make things clearer.

Liability coverage

This insurance is cheaper for two simple reasons: it covers less and usually doesn’t require a deductible. It doesn’t cover your own vehicle in an accident, but covers damage to other vehicles that you’re responsible for hitting.
It will also pay for the replacement of belongings in the other person’s car, their medical bills and your legal bills. Passengers in your car who are injured in an accident that you’re at fault for are also covered under liability insurance, though not always — check with your insurance agent to see if bodily injury coverage to your passengers is included.
Property damage liability insurance is also available, covering you if you hit a neighbor’s tree, for example. Uninsured driver liability insurance is another add-on to consider in case you hit an uninsured or under-insured driver.

Comprehensive coverage

This covers physical damage to other vehicles and yours in a traffic accident. Also called collision insurance, it also covers damage to your car from natural disasters, such as storms.
You’ll usually have to pay a deductible when making a claim, which might not be worthwhile if your car isn’t worth much.
Liability is usually a part of comprehensive coverage, though you can opt for liability only under certain circumstances, such as owning your car outright and not having a loan on it.

When is liability auto coverage best?

If you have an old car that’s paid for, liability only coverage makes sense. The car may only last a few more years anyway, so paying extra for comprehensive coverage to repair it may not be worth it. If the repair costs more than the car’s value, comprehensive insurance won’t pay for more than the car’s value anyway.
But you should also consider if you can afford to buy a comparable car to replace yours in an accident that you don’t have collision coverage for.
For example, if your car is valued at $12,000 and you have little or no savings, then it would be difficult to repair or replace the car if you only have liability coverage, Stauffer says. But if your car is worth $2,000 and you have that much in savings, then a comparable car is affordable and liability insurance is worthwhile, he says.

“Liability is pretty much a component of all auto policies, so it is rarely an optional program,” says Kristofer Kirchen, president of Advanced Insurance Managers in Tampa, Fla. “However, there are rare times where one can forego liability.”

These include having a seasonal vehicle, where an owner spends part of the year in another state, Kirchen says. Some companies are willing to suspend coverage, he says.
Another push toward getting liability coverage only is how close you live to public transportation. If you don’t use your car much and can live without it for awhile by using public transportation after a car accident, then getting cheaper liability coverage makes sense.

When is comprehensive auto coverage best?

If you lease a car or have a car loan, your lender will often require comprehensive coverage.
Even if you own the car outright, comprehensive coverage can be a smart choice if you don’t have enough money in savings to buy a new car if your car is totaled.
Another reason to have comprehensive and collision coverage is when you want coverage for damage by someone else who either has no insurance, inadequate limits of insurance, or who can’t pay, Kirchen says.
Insurance is meant to protect you from financial disaster. A simple question to ask yourself when considering liability versus comprehensive coverage is: Can I afford to buy a comparable car if my car was totaled today? If not, then you’ll probably want full comprehensive and collision coverage to help replace your car if it’s totaled.

By Aaron Crowe
Buying a car can be a teenager’s first major purchase on their own, vaulting them into the adult world of loan payments and mechanic bills.
Preparing for that first car can require a lot more than taking driver’s ed classes and driving mom to the grocery store. Choosing a car, buying insurance and figuring out how to pay for the car — either through a loan, money saved or a gift from parents — can be quick lessons in budgeting.
Whether they’re buying a car to get to a job during high school, commute to college or to a new job after graduating from college, here are some things to consider when preparing your student to buy their first vehicle:

Need a loan?

Unless parents are giving their kid a chunk of money, or the student has saved money from working, a car loan will likely be necessary. For most teens, unless they have a job that pays well, they’ll need a parent to co-sign the loan. That means that if a car payment isn’t made, the co-signer is responsible for the loan, even if the car is repossessed.
“If you don’t have someone to co-sign the loan with you, you’re going to have a much higher interest rate,” says Gene Natali, co-author of “The Missing Semester,” a book about financial choices for students.
Especially for high school students with limited incomes, setting a budget and a payment and interest rate that they can afford each month is smart.
“Having an auto loan and paying it off can be a great way for a young person to establish good credit and will help down the road with other loans such as home or business,” says Soren T. Christensen, a certified financial planner at Advanced Wealth Advisors in Naples, Fla.
Parents can also help their kids establish credit by allowing them to get a credit card with a small limit so they can learn to manage credit and set good habits, Christensen says.
As anyone who has negotiated with a car salesman can attest, financing a loan with a car dealer can be the worst part of the transaction. Matthew Sauers, who graduated last year from the University of Pittsburgh with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, spent much of three hours at a Volkswagen dealership trying to get a better interest rate.
“It was just annoying after awhile,” Sauers says of the three salespeople who continually told him they couldn’t give him an interest rate to get his monthly payment to what he wanted.
“To their credit, I started getting more and more attached to this car,” he says.
After getting turned down again for a low interest rate, Sauers’ friend, who he brought with him to encourage him to walk away if the deal wasn’t good enough, got him up to walk out the door. The salesman ran after him and the car dealer offered an interest rate normally for someone with a longer credit history.
After walking in with a bank loan already approved at 4.8% interest, the dealer dropped its rate to 2.29% for five years for a 2011 certified pre-owned VW Jetta for $16,900.

You don’t need extra features on your car

Peer pressure to get the latest gadgets with a new car, such as a navigation system, can be high, but the prices should bring a teen back down to reality.
Customizing a car with paint, tires, graphics and other items can also get expensive. For a car to hold its value, avoid vibrant colors and expensive treatments.
If the added costs don’t persuade your teen, then Natali suggests thinking about putting the money that would have been spent on an upgrade and putting it in a savings account and earning compound interest to show how far that extra payout can go.
“Let your savings dictate how much you can spend on the car,” he says.
Buying a first car should be fun, but it can also be overwhelming. “The temptation to spend more than you should can be high,” Natali says. “That temptation is much higher when the sunlight is glistening off the hood of that brand new car on the dealer’s floor. Know how much car you can afford — before you buy it.”

New or used?

A used car can be much cheaper than a new one, and can reinforce the idea that the purpose of a first car is to safely and reliably get you from point A to point B, Natali says.
It’s not meant to impress your friends or put you on the road to money problems, he says.
It’s also important to remember that a new car becomes “used” as soon as it’s driven off the car lot, dropping in value. And even if the monthly payment is higher with a new car, the expenses of gas, insurance, maintenance and other costs are likely to be higher than the monthly car payment.
In a survey of 32 students in her class at Fox Chapel Area High School in Pittsburgh, PA, teacher Jill Tabis found that five students planned on buying a car before graduation, and all five planned on buying used cars. When paying for car insurance, most either had a job or were saving for the expense, and one student said their parents would help pay for insurance.

Lessons for young adults

If you have children who aren’t at the car-buying age yet but you still want them to learn the basics of how to pay for a car, the virtual world of Whyville is a way to buy virtual cars with a virtual credit rating and virtual car loan. Developed with Toyota Financial Services and Scion Inc. as an educational tool, Whyville doesn’t require real currency to buy anything, says Jim Bower, CEO of Numedeon Inc., the company behind the site.
“Most adults don’t know what a credit score is or how it’s built,” but kids ages 8-14 are learning it at the website, Bower says.
If a user misses a car payment, their virtual car is repossessed — which has led to some upset parents calling with excuses from their upset children that have included being away on vacation and unable to make a virtual payment, to the dog eating the Internet cords. Repossessions are uncommon, Bower says, which shows how much kids care about their cars.
“Kids figure things out by making mistakes,” he says. “Then they go back and don’t make the same mistakes again.”

We should all be so smart.
 

By Aaron Crowe
Some days, luck isn’t on your side. Everyone can have an “off day,” as Allstate Insurance points out in an ad selling its “accident forgiveness” policies.
Allstate, Nationwide, Progressive, State Farm, GEICO and other major insurance carriers offer an insurance add-on called “accident forgiveness” to their best customers that doesn’t raise their rates if they cause an auto accident. The forgiveness is usually a one-time deal.
Drivers who buy this extra insurance can be getting a deal, especially if they have a teenage driver — a demographic prone to accidents. It may not be such a deal for good drivers, who are essentially buying extra insurance for something that may not happen because they’re good drivers anyway.
An insurance policy is meant to protect against claims for damages from an accident caused by the policyholder. Buying more insurance, some critics say, is an unnecessary expense.

What is Accident Forgiveness?
Being at-fault in an auto accident can significantly cause insurance rates to rise, easily by 50 percent or more. If you have a clean driving record, the insurer will forgive the first accident you cause and won’t raise your premium. Your deductible could also drop each year afterward that you don’t have an accident.
The details differ by company. Some may give accident forgiveness immediately, while others may require up to five years of not having an accident under the policy before they’ll forgive one.
How often an insurer forgives also varies. Most forgive just the first at-fault accident, though some will start the forgiveness clock again in three to six years. Some may also require a driver not to have any moving violations for three years.
Accident forgiveness is often extended to other drivers on your policy. Nationwide, for example, extends it to teen drivers, but it can only be used for one forgiven accident per policy.
Safeco Insurance, a Liberty Mutual company, has what it calls a Rewind program that forgives an at-fault accident immediately and doesn’t require several years of claims-free history.
To participate, users must install a telematics device into their car to collect data as they drive, including speed, quick starts and hard stops. The data is collected after four months to determine how safe the driver is and if the accident will be forgiven. Instead of proving you’re a safe driver before causing an accident, Rewind allows drivers to prove it afterward.

Is it worth getting?
Safe drivers with clean driving records may not benefit from buying accident forgiveness because they should already have low rates, or at least have standard policies.
But it could still be worthwhile if you want to cover the chance that you may cause an accident someday, despite never causing one so far in your driving life. Even if you’ve never been in an accident, you can still get in one, but your odds are lower.
Insurers that offer accident forgiveness for free are probably making up the money with higher premiums overall, says David Pipes, an insurance agent at Rooney Pipes Insurance Agency in Fresno, Calif. Pipes sells auto insurance, but not accident forgiveness insurance.
“If you have accident forgiveness, that cost has been borne someplace,” Pipes says. “It’s not like a magic genie out there.”
Whether the extra insurance costs more or is offered for free, it “in no way means that the insurer simply absorbs the cost of one’s accident,” says Rob Drury, executive director of the Association of Christian Financial Advisors. However the cost is underwritten, every penny of claims expense is paid from premium revenues, says Drury, who hasn’t had “accident forgiveness” insurance but has benefitted from being a safe driver.
“In nearly 40 years of driving, I’ve had very few accidents determined to be my fault, all of them occurring before the days of ‘accident forgiveness,’” he says.
“Having been always with the same insurer, I have received a safe driver premium reduction at each and every six-month renewal, including those renewal periods in which an accident occurred,” Drury says. “I didn’t receive ‘accident forgiveness.’ I received a premium that was appropriate for a driver having a claim rate below the norm for my demographic. No ‘accident forgiveness’ necessary.” Accident forgiveness may not be worth the extra expense if your driving record is clean.
Having teenage drivers may already result in higher insurance rates from increased risk. Buying accident forgiveness policy could help ease the pain of rates going up after a child’s first accident, no matter how small.
To help determine if the cost is worthwhile, ask your insurer how much your rates would rise if you caused an accident. This information should be available in a surcharge schedule that outlines percentage increases from specific infractions. If the potential rate hike is less than the cost of the added insurance, then it probably isn’t worth getting.
 

By Aaron Crowe
Anyone who has driven on a highway or most other roads knows that speed limits are meant to be broken.
We’re not saying drivers should break the law on purpose, but since speed limits are supposed to be set at the 85th percentile of the flow of traffic, it’s easy to see that the speed limit on many roads is much lower than the 85th percentile.
Traffic often moves much faster than the law calls for. Depending on your point of view, that’s either dangerous, or could be viewed as safer because everyone is driving similar speeds. Whatever your take, chances are that a police officer won’t agree with the argument of driving with the flow of traffic if it’s above the speed limit.
But there are ways to avoid getting a speeding ticket, and thanks to new technology and smartphone apps, there are some high-tech ways to help drivers not get caught speeding. Here are a few:

Automatic braking near roadside cameras
This technology is starting in only Australia and South Korea, so don’t get your hopes up yet in America. The 2015 Hyundai Genesis has an automatic braking system that uses cameras and radar sensors to alert the driver to dangers ahead, such as a stopped car near a turn that’s hard to see in a storm, and automatically brakes if the driver doesn’t react.
Its GPS is preloaded with the locations of roadside cameras that track speeding cars and send out tickets. The car alerts the driver that he’s about to speed past a camera, and, if necessary, automatically brakes so that he isn’t driving over the speed limit.

Radar detectors
These have been around since your dad was young as a way to know if police are nearby so you can slow down in time. They’ve improved to use GPS technology that automatically learns by the exact location and frequency of each radar signal.
The Passport 9500ix, made by a company called Escort, is the top of the line in radar detectors, says Kristofer Kirchen, president of First Florida Insurance Network of Central Florida. While Kirchen doesn’t make a practice of speeding, as an insurance agent he likes to play it safe in case he should creep up over the speed limit.
The Passport 9500ix uses a database subscription to mark typical speedtrap areas, red light cameras and speed cameras. Kirchen says his automatically increases range with speed, locks out false alerts, and can show the number and band of radar signals detected. The device costs $450 and the database subscription is $20 for one year.

Roadside camera spotters
Like the radar detector above that has a database of speed cameras that can send speeding tickets, there are other GPS makers that sell subscription services of updated lists of roadside camera locations.
TomTom has such a service, as does Garmin. For $10 a month or $30 a year, the Phantom Alert smartphone app shows red light cameras, speed cameras and live traffic along your route, along with an audible alert so you’ll have time to slow down. It even claims to alert drivers to DUI checkpoints.
“If you hate traffic tickets, then this is a service for you,” the Phantom Alert website says.

Share information with other drivers
This free, real-time Waze app helps drivers select the best rout with other drivers who share traffic and road information. Waze also marks police locations that might not be exact, but still gives an idea of a hot spot coming up.

AutoGuard app
This app turns your phone into a dash cam, and has video and GPS tracking, and includes maps and speed limits. For about $3, it can record video as you drive, which can be used as proof of what happened if you’re pulled over and have to go to court.

8 Things Car Salespeople Don’t Want You to Know

By Aaron Crowe
Researching new car prices online is easy when you want to buy a car. The hard part is negotiating the best deal.
There are some tricks of the trade that car salespeople know work better than others. We rounded up some of those tips from salespeople and people who buy a lot of cars, and offer eight car buying tips that could help you get a better deal than you expected:

1. Don’t buy based on the monthly payment. This is the most common “trick” dealers use to try to get a higher selling price based on the monthly payment rather than the vehicle’s sale price, says Rob Drury, executive director of the Association of Christian Financial Advisors.
“First, the payment is the primary budgetary concern for most buyers, so it is normally easy to shift the buyer’s focus to it,” Drury says. “Raising the monthly payment by only $20 typically raises the purchase price by about $1,000.”
Also, inflating the assumed interest rate in calculating the payments at the beginning of the negotiation allows “wiggle room” to either maximize the purchase price or sell warranties or accessories, he says. “If financing, budget for and select a vehicle based upon monthly payment, but always be conscious of the selling price prior to sealing the deal,” Drury says.

2. Make the lowest offer you can without being told to leave. If you’re a good negotiator, a car dealership is a great place to test your skills in making a lowball offer, even if it’s offensive.
“You want the salesman annoyed or offended by the offer, but still willing to negotiate,” says Alex Gierczyk, a part owner of a dealership in Houston, Texas, in the early 2000s until he sold to his partner.
“This was the most effective tactic bar none,” Gierczyk says. “It leverages the fact that we want to sell the car, even at a small margin because there’s no disadvantage to increased inventory turnover.”

3. Come back at the end of the month. The end of the month is good time to negotiate because managers have quotas to hit each month — and they may get a bonus for hitting their quota — so if you’re the customer that puts them over the top you could get a better deal, says Mike Rabkin, president of From Car to Finish, a service that negotiates new vehicle prices for buyers.

4. Deal with managers. Getting into the big, glassed-in office may be difficult to do, but dealing with managers is a good way to negotiate a better deal because they’re the ones who can decide price on the spot, Rabkin says. They’re not paid on commission, so have less incentive to work you for a higher price. Managers include the sales manager, fleet manager, general sales manager and Internet manager.

5. Give the dealer one chance to beat the best price. This goes back to Gierczyk’s tactic of making the lowest offer you can. Get at least three or four quotes from different dealers not only so you get a feel for what a good price is, but also to make the dealers “put their best foot forward since they only get one chance at your business,” Rabkin suggests.

6. Know the dealer’s profit margin. Another tactic to getting quotes in the form of price is to get them as a profit margin, Rabkin says. For example, ask dealers for a quote of $500 over invoice, or $4,000 under MSRP, for a specific make, model and style, regardless of color and options. You can then use it to set a price for whatever vehicle is available that starts with that description, he says.

7. Some car options don’t have to be bought as a package. Dealers make a good amount of profit by selling car upgrades. Instead of buying a $2,000 navigation package with a bunch of stuff you don’t want when you only want the backup camera, you can often get the backup camera installed via a third party vendor — and still through the dealer — at a much lower cost, says LeeAnn Shattuck, who helps women negotiate car prices. Shattuck says she recently did this for a client on a new Nissan Juke.
She also often has the dealer “add leather” to the base model car for a client who wants leather seats but doesn’t want to pay $4,000 for the “limited” or top-level model of the car with a bunch of other upgrades. Leather for the front and back seats, and door panels, can typically be added through a third party vendor for around $1,000, Shattuck says. The leather is of equal or better quality than the factory leather, and typically comes with a good warranty, she says.
8. Don’t buy the same day you test drive a car. Salespeople know you’ll be excited after a test drive and that you’ll quickly want to take home a shiny, new and fun car. That’s why they want you to come back inside the dealership and “talk numbers” immediately after the joy ride, Shattuck says. They’re counting on the impulse buy and that you won’t be prepared. Don’t fall for it, and walk away after the test drive, she recommends. Buying a car is a process, not an event, Shattuck says.
 
Aaron Crowe is a journalist who covers the auto industry for CheapCarInsurance.net.

Acura

Although Acura is the luxury vehicle marque of Honda, it still sits on the less expensive side when it comes to car insurance.

The Acura brand was launched in the United States in 1986 and it quickly inspired other Japanese automakers to create their own luxury lines, such as Toyota’s Lexus and Nissan’s Infiniti. Acura also would later design an affordable alternative to European sports cars.

In 2011, Acura and Marvel Entertainment announced a promotional campaign where Acura became the official brand of the fictional organization S.H.I.E.L.D. Since then, Acura vehicles have appeared in several Marvel superhero films.

The Hollywood connection is good publicity for the automaker, as are the five-star safety ratings Acura’s domestic line has earned during the last 20 years.

Since 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has awarded more than nine Acura models with four or more stars, earning them an overall rating of five stars. Ratings are based on four categories: overall, frontal crash, side crash and rollover.

 

Acura models have been known to have superior handling and braking capabilities, even when compared to its cousin Honda. Acura also has been at the forefront of technology — implementing backup cameras, keyless starts and blind spot information systems.

Unlike their European counterparts, Acura vehicles are known to be less expensive to fix after a crash. This, along with its durability, can make Acura a cheaper vehicle to insure than others.

Acura AVERAGE MONTHLY INSURANCE RATES

NATIONAL AVERAGE :$131

• $143A
• $122B
• $141C
• $112D
• $150E
• $106F
• $161G
• $135H
• $172I
• $117J
• $224K
• $122 –L
• $103M
• $103N
• $95O
• $87P
• $118Q
• $157R
• $204S
• $78T
• $134U
• $141V
• $221W
• $126X
• $116Y
• $149Z
• $166a
• $127b
• $126c
• – $100d
• – $135e
• $121f
• $118g
• $89h
• $123i
• $95j
• $178k
• $114l
• $147m
• $142n
• $104o
• $130p
• $131q
• $126r
• $131s
• $107t
• $105 – u
• $101v
• $159w
• $105x
• $127y

• $0 -$60
• $61-$120
• $121-$180
• $181-$240
• $241-$300

Average Monthly Premium Compared to All Other Vehicles

$94
Ford Edge SE
4 Door 2WD Utility

$280
Mercedes CL600
2 Door Coupe

Summary

These are actual average rates for all 50 states. The state with the cheapest average rates for this vehicle is Maine at $78, and the state with the most expensive rates is Georgia at $224. The overall average is $131.

Shop on our site to see how much you can save on your Acura car insurance rates.

This data is compiled from public insurance state fillings and includes the top 5 carriers, and samples a typical, middle-aged male driver.

Source: Quadrant

Acura (MDX)

Average Premium CostThis is a combined average of all the Acura MDX ‘s sub-models and trims

MDX$115

5 Door 4WD Utility$113

5 Door 4WD Utility Advance$116

5 Door 4WD Utility Tech$115

Acura (TSX)

Average Premium CostThis is a combined average of all the Acura TSX ‘s sub-models and trims

TSX$137

TSX Sport Wagon$134

TSX Sport Wagon Tech$135

TSX Tech$139

Acura (ZDX)

Average Premium CostThis is a combined average of all the Acura ZDX ‘s sub-models and trims

ZDX$129

Acura (RDX)

Average Premium CostThis is a combined average of all the Acura RDX ‘s sub-models and trims

RDX$116

4 Door 2WD Utility$111

4 Door AWD Utility$121

RDX Tech$117

4 Door 2WD Utility$118

4 Door 4WD Utility$115

Acura (TL)

Average Premium CostThis is a combined average of all the Acura TL ‘s sub-models and trims

TL$137

4 Door Sedan$136

4 Door Sedan AWD$137

TL Advance$142

TL SH$142

TL SH Advance$142

TL SH Tech$147

TL Tech$142

The Truth About Cheap No-Deposit Car insurance

There’s just no getting around it: Before your auto insurance coverage can actually kick in, you’re probably going to have to pay at least some of your premium up front. Whether you’re paying your yearly premium in one lump sum or in monthly installments, your insurer is definitely going to ask for something, albeit a token payment, before activating your policy. It’s simply how the insurer can make sure you are serious about the insurance policy you’ve undertaken with them.
So, if you’ve heard of companies offering very cheap car insurance with no deposit, you may be wondering how that’s possible in light of the above said statement.
It might sound like an intriguing idea, especially if you’re someone who’s monthly cash flow might not leave much wiggle room. And if you’re intent on finding cheap car insurance no deposit required there are some important things you need to know about what it actually is, where to find it, and the pros and cons of getting it. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

What Does “No Deposit” Mean When It Comes to Car Insurance?

You may be wondering: Can I really get car insurance with no deposit? Well, sort of. It depends how you look at it. But before you get disheartened read on, because there are options to explore.
The cold, hard truth is that there’s no such thing as car insurance with “no deposit” up front, so the phrase is a bit misleading. It just isn’t a buy now, pay later kind of set up.
First, it helps to understand that what some insurers refer to as a “deposit” or “down payment” is really just up-front money you put toward your annual premium. It’s not a fee that you would get back, or have to pay extra for if the terms of the policy were broken.
A “no deposit” or “no down payment” option simply means that the only thing you have to pay up front is the first month’s premium, as opposed to a larger percentage of the annual premium. So it would be more accurate to call it car insurance with “no big deposit”, “no big deal”, right?
All of this means that if you’re trying to avoid having to make a large up-front payment, it’s possible to find cheap car insurance with no deposit when you pay monthly.
But one way or another, you’re going to have to pay something up front.

Paying Your Car insurance Monthly or in One Lump Sum – What Are the Tradeoffs?

If you’re willing to pay a higher premium over the course of the year, then you can save some money up front with “no-deposit”, or better still, “low-deposit” insurance.
Here’s how it works:
For people who pay their yearly premium in annual, semiannual, or quarterly installments, the insurer will require you to pay all, half or a quarter of your premium, respectively, up front. In exchange for paying this sum, your insurer will offer you a lower annual premium.
If you’ve chosen to make monthly payments, though, your insurer may ask you to make a “deposit” or “down payment” up front. This is just a percentage of the premium, such as the first two months of payments. The tradeoff here is that more frequent the installments you choose, the higher your annual premium will be. And if you opt for a lower or no down payment, your monthly payments will be a bit higher.
So you can still get cheap car insurance with no deposit. But the premium payments might not be as cheap as they would be if you paid more up front.
The upshot of all of this is that if you need coverage right away but don’t have enough money to cover a big down payment, a “no deposit” option could help ensure you don’t have to go the illegal, risky route of going without coverage.

How Can I Find Very Cheap Car Insurance with No Deposit Near Me?

If you’re looking for very cheap car insurance with no deposit in Texas, you’re going to come up empty. But if you’re just one state away in Oklahoma, you might be in luck.
Why? It’s because the availability of cheap car insurance without a deposit varies depending on where you live, and it’s only available in a handful of states.
Other states offering no-deposit options include:
• Arizona
• California
• Florida
• Georgia
• New York
• Washington

Are There Any Car Insurance Companies that Don’t Require a Deposit?

Even if you live in a state where you can find cheap car insurance with no deposit to pay, you’ll still need to find a company that offers it. Some due diligence can help you determine whether there are any car insurance companies that don’t need a deposit and will offer you a policy.
Few companies offer “no-deposit” insurance — meaning they would only require you to pay your first month’s premium — so you may have to do some digging to find one that makes this option available. Just make sure you’re working with a reputable insurer, as there are a lot of shady offers out there for “no deposit” insurance.

What Are the Best Ways to Save on My Car Insurance?

If your goal is to find very cheap car insurance with no deposit, full coverage tends to be the most expensive option.
Full coverage car insurance refers to any combination of policies beyond basic liability. It generally includes comprehensive, collision and liability coverage, but it can encompass other coverage types as well. Remember: The more coverage you buy, the more you’ll pay.
If you’re willing to go with the state-required bare minimum for liability coverage, that would be your best bet to get your car insurance policy deposit free. The tradeoff is that you’ll also have the least amount of coverage possible. So consider which scenario works best for your situation.
If you want the best of both worlds, invest a little time into shopping around and researching what is the cheapest full coverage car insurance with no deposit in your area.
And as always, a clean driving record and good credit history goes a long way toward helping you find cheaper car insurance — ideally with no deposit to pay up front.
There are also a number of car insurance discounts available if you are willing to shop around and do some research into which may apply to you and your family.

So car insurance is a given, right? Well, ideally it should be in everyone’s mind, but have you ever wondered how it works behind the policy jargon and witty advertising campaigns? We’ve put together this basic guide so you get the refresher you need before putting your hard earned money on the table, of course after you find the cheapest car insurance rates out there.

Car Insurance 101: Understanding the Basics

Car insurance provides financial protection in the case of a car accident, vandalism, theft or other incidents. As long as you have an active policy, your insurance provider can pay for vehicle repairs and medical expenses when you are in an accident. It can also protect you financially if you are responsible for someone else’s injuries or damages.
Car insurance is required in 49 states, and driving without coverage could result in fines or even jail time. When you got your first car, you probably simultaneously purchased your first auto insurance policy. You may have done so without much thought. Perhaps you purchased the most affordable policy with the coverage your state required and are still wondering “how does car insurance work?” If so, take the time to learn a little more about how car insurance works, including how to file a claim, by reading below.

The Different Types of Car Insurance Out There

Understanding how car insurance works begins with understanding the different types of coverage and which ones your policy has. The different types of coverage protect you in different situations. A few of the most common types of coverage are liability, comprehensive, uninsured driver, and collision. Below is a breakdown of each type.
Liability Coverage
All car insurance policies have liability coverage. This is coverage that pays the costs of injuries or damage to someone else or another vehicle in an accident where you are at fault. Most states require this by law.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage is optional coverage that will protect your car against damage caused while you aren’t driving it. This could include extreme weather, falling objects, and vandalism.
Collision Coverage
Collision insurance covers damage to your own car when it is involved in an accident, no matter who is at fault. It is optional coverage, but when combined with comprehensive coverage, helps makeup what is referred to as “full coverage car insurance”.
Uninsured, or Underinsured, Motorist Coverage
If you are in an accident with someone who doesn’t have insurance or their insurance doesn’t cover the extent of the damage, an uninsured/underinsured motorist policy will cover the costs of damage to your car. This is optional coverage.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Coverage
Personal injury protection pays for medical and rehabilitation expenses for you and your passengers, regardless of who is at fault. It is required in a number of states.
Other Optional Coverage
Some of the most common options include GAP insurance, roadside assistance, and rental reimbursement.

What Does Car Insurance Not Cover?

Some things you won’t be able to use your auto insurance policy for include normal wear & tear, rideshare platforms, and other individuals who drive your car but are not listed on the policy. While shopping around, make sure to ask what additional coverage is available to cover the things your normal policy will not cover.

How Does Auto Insurance Work – Coverage vs. Deductible

When you buy a car insurance policy, you must first designate an amount you wish to be covered for. This is usually $100,000 but can be more or less depending on your needs. While deciding this amount, you will also need to decide on an amount for your deductible.
A deductible is the amount you are responsible for paying before the insurance company will pay for anything. Most insurance companies start you with a $500 deductible. You can request to raise your deductible to $1000 or even more to help lower your monthly premium. This could lower your auto insurance bill significantly but cost you more when you make a claim.

How Much Does Car Insurance Usually Cost?

When shopping for insurance, the insurance companies will ask about your daily life such as how you use the car, where you park it, and other aspects of driving to ascertain the risk you might pose to cover you and your vehicle. These things will all play a part in how much your premium will be. A few other factors that will be considered to determine your insurance cost include:

• Credit history
• Age, gender, and location
• Driving record
• Insurance history

The amount and type of coverage you choose will also help determine the premium you will pay on a month to month, six month, or yearly basis depending on the terms of your policy. For these reasons, it is hard to predict the costs of insurance because they are specific to each driver.

How to File a Car Insurance Claim with Your Insurance Company

To use your car insurance after an accident or damage to your vehicle, you will need to file a claim. Your insurance will cover damages for an accident where you are at-fault. If your car was damaged by another driver, their insurance will cover the costs of damages. When both parties are at fault, you’ll want to file a claim with both parties’ insurance providers. Things can get confusing when trying to actually use your insurance policy, and that is why it is important to understand how to file a claim when the time comes.
Immediately following the accident, there are a few items of information you should collect if possible, including:

• Photographs of any damage to vehicles and the scene of the accident
• Policy numbers for all involved parties
• Names of witnesses and the responding police officer
• License plate numbers and descriptions of the cars

Filing a claim usually begins with a call to the car insurance company, but sometimes you are able to file a claim online. After a car insurance representative collects the initial data about an auto accident, a claim number is assigned and a claim set up. This claim is a record of the actual auto accident that is linked to a specific auto policy. From here, the claim is assigned to a claims adjuster who will investigate the claim through a series of tasks.
Once an adjuster has completed their investigation, the car insurance company will make a payment either directly to you or the repair shop. Keep in mind, depending on your policy, you may have a deductible that you will be responsible to pay before any payments are made by the insurance provider.

How to Get Cheap Car Insurance that Checks Off All the Boxes

Before settling on one insurance company, shop around to ensure you are truly getting cheap car insurance. The best way to shop for auto insurance is to compare policy offerings and discounts from multiple companies, but it is important to make sure you are comparing the same coverage limits and deductibles. Getting quotes from several insurers can be time-consuming, to say the least. That’s why CCI is here to help you get multiple quotes in minutes, so you can easily find the best policy with the right amount of coverage.
Many of us know we have to have car insurance in order to get our license and tags. However, there are some that don’t fully understand what is car insurance or how it will actually protect them. If after reading this piece, you are still wondering how auto insurance works, feel free to reach out to one of our insurance experts. We will gladly answer any questions you have and help find the right insurance policy for you.

So your teen is ready to get behind the wheel, but you may not be ready for the shocker that’s in store when adding a young driver to your auto insurance policy. You may want to get a head start in your search for the cheapest car insurance for teens so you’re prepared for the cost, as well as have some savings tricks up your sleeve.
The main question you will want t the answer to is “How much will young driver insurance cost me?” The answer is insuring teen driver will set their parents back about $1,500 a year on average.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to get the cheapest auto insurance for teens. If you shop around for the best rates and look for teen driver discounts, you should be able to get your teen on the road without breaking the bank, and we’re sure you’d like to have that money available for something else.

Why Teens Drive Up the Cost of Car Insurance

It’s pricy to add your teen to your policy because drivers in that age group are riskier to insure. In fact, teen drivers have three times as many accidents as drivers 20 and older, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. These are statistics that both you and your insurer of choice will have to reckon with.
Here are some of the factors that are likely to lead to teen driver crashes. Most are preventable:

Driver Error

When you’re new to something, you are more likely to make mistakes. It’s as simple as that. Your teen must be aware of the responsibility they have to themselves, their family, and other drivers, because errors on the road can be costly and life-changing. Make sure the young driver of the house has a safe vehicle to drive and their head in the right place.

Speeding

Young drivers may not understand the consequences of their actions as well as adults do. This means something as simple as going a few miles an hour over the speed limit can have very different outcomes depending on your age. Some teenagers also get cars that are built to thrill, which may increase the risk of accident even more.

Teen Passengers

Distractions can also play a serious role in driving safely. When there are other teen passengers in the car, there can be conversations, selfies, dancing, you name it… we’ve heard it all. It is very exciting to gain the freedom of movement, but no car parties please. Many states have even imposed laws on the number of passengers a teen driver is allowed to carry.

Alcohol

For teen drivers getting their driver license is one of the first steps into the adult world. Unfortunately, the second is usually alcohol consumption. When the two mix, it can have potentially devastating consequences. Have the talk with your kids so they know what they are risking.

Nighttime Driving

The road is full of unexpected surprises. Due to lack of visibility, many of the worst accidents happen at night. Tell your teen to take it easy on the gas pedal and be extra careful at intersections and on the highway.
Fortunately, many states require graduated driver licensing programs for teens, which can help reduce the risk of crashes. Teen driving safety increases when teens get driving permits at age 16 or older, receive 70 or more hours of supervised driving instruction, and gradually get more driving privileges as they gain experience on the road.

Finding the Cheapest Car Insurance for Teens

As a parent, it pays to think not only about keeping your teen safe on the road but also about keeping your car insurance costs down. Here are six ways to get the cheapest car insurance for teens:
Shop around. When adding your teen to your policy, it’s smart to get quotes from multiple insurers even if you’ve been with the same company for years. One way to shop around is by getting online insurance quotes for teens. Or, an independent agent or broker can shop multiple insurers for you, says Keith Balsiger, president of Balsiger Insurance, an insurance agency with three locations in Nevada. Rates for teen drivers definitely vary by insurer, he says.
Tie car privileges to good grades. Many insurers offer good student discounts, usually for kids who have a solid A or B average on their report card. If your child makes straight As, you’re in luck. If not, it might pay off to encourage your teen to study harder before you hand over the car keys. A good student discount could shave 25 percent off the base rate for young drivers, Balsiger says.
Have your teen take a safe driving class. In addition to giving you a little more peace of mind, enrolling your child in a defensive driving class could lower your auto insurance costs. For example, Nationwide offers discounts for completion of defensive driver training. And Liberty Mutual offers discounts for parents of teens who complete online teen driving course called teenSMART, which cuts the risk of getting into a collision by 30 percent.
Don’t let your kid drive the expensive car. One way to save money on insurance is to have your kid drive a safe, sensible used car rather than handing over the keys to your shiny luxury sedan. However, insurers don’t want to be told the kid is driving the beat-up Corolla wagon when he’s mostly behind the wheel of the new Mercedes convertible. So, some insurers blend the rate across all vehicles in the household, while others assign the youthful driver to the most expensive vehicle the family owns, Balsiger says. “What you want to do is find a carrier that rates the teen driver on the vehicle they actually drive the most,” he says.
Consider a policy with accident forgiveness. It’s not uncommon for teens to have an accident, even if it’s just a run-in with the neighbor’s mailbox, while they’re getting comfortable behind the wheel. A collision can increase your rates by 30 percent, according to Nationwide. However, if you get a policy with accident forgiveness, the first accident will not hike your rates.
Make your kid sign a contract. Making sure your teen drives safely is important both for your peace of mind as a parent and your insurance rates. If your policy doesn’t have accident forgiveness and your teen has an accident, your rates will rise. And a violation like speeding or a DUI also may cause your rates to spike. Teach your teen about safe driving practices like not giving rides to groups of friends and putting the phone away while driving. Consider getting a safe driving commitment from your kid in writing. Liberty Mutual offers a teen driving contract you can print out for your teen to sign.
Look at what wider discounts are available as a family. We’ve  put together the ultimate set of tips to find cheap car insurance to help you along the way. Many insurers offer military discounts, and others that you will be able to apply to a multi-car family policy.
Following these tips to get the cheapest car insurance for teens should help you teach your teen the rules of the road without having to pay a fortune in car insurance costs.

No One in California Likes Going to the DMV

From coast to coast, Americans agree – having to go to the Department of Motor Vehicles is basically hell. While the general attitude and pace of DMV employees are well-known comedic stereotypes, nothing beats the wait times. Even with the advent of booking in advance and checking wait times online before you go, the agony of the DMV waiting room is a special kind of suffering.
Nowhere is that truer than in California. The Golden State is said to have some of the worst DMV wait times in the country, so we wanted to know just how bad the average DMV California (CA) wait time really is.We watched their online portals for three weeks, collecting data on DMV wait times from 134 different field offices to determine where in sunny California the dark cloud of the DMV looms largest. Read on to see what we discovered about DMV wait times.

Wait Times at California DMVs Top the List of Grievances

California is one of the largest U.S. states – only Alaska and Texas cover more area. It also happens to have the largest population of any state. Census data suggest that more than 39 million people currently live in beautiful, scenic California. That means, depending on where you live in the state, DMV traffic can be pretty severe.
Sacramento, California’s state capital, takes the prize for longest DMV wait times among California DMV locations – averaging more than 105 minutes. That might be worse than the wait at most Disneyland attractions and without the satisfaction of a much-enjoyed ride at the end.
Los Angeles-area DMV offices, such as downtown Los Angeles (almost 93 minutes), Hollywood (87 minutes) and Long Beach (86 minutes) were not much better than Sacramento. As the most populated city in all of California, the City of Angels has more than just notoriously bad traffic – it also has three of the top five worst DMV wait times in all of California. Some have suggested that these wait times may be due in part to a new law enacted in California last year that allows state residents the opportunity to apply for licenses legally without having to prove U.S. citizenship.
However, DMV wait times weren’t all doom and gloom in California. Areas like Red Bluff and Napa had fewer than 10-minute wait times. While these may be some of the less populated areas of the state, their wait times are nothing to whine about compared to most California DMV locations. 

The Best (and Worst) California DMVs

Use our interactive guide to see just where in California the wait times are the longest. We measured the average wait time for patrons waiting without an appointment. Because the DMV California (CA) wait time usually passes well into an hour (or more) in some places, we highly recommend booking online whenever possible – or at least bringing a nice book to read.
 

Avoid Mondays and Fridays at Your Local CA DMV

The DMV may be a Monday through Friday operation, but not all weekdays are created equal. We looked at each day of the week to see what is the best day to go to the DMV – when you might be able to get right in and out, and when you should probably plan to stay awhile.
With limited-to-no services offered Saturday or Sunday, the busiest days for California DMVs were on Mondays and Fridays.
If you have the time and willpower, getting to the DMV between 8 and 9 a.m. may be your best bet. Wait times were shortest every day during the early morning. However, if you can’t make the morning hours work, you might want to try right around 5 p.m. Further, wait times around 6 p.m. were the worst, averaging just about – or more than – an hour every day.
Midweek days, such as Wednesday and Thursday, offered the best DMV waiting times for a relatively expeditious turnaround. However, depending on the time of day, you might still find yourself waiting 30 minutes or longer without an appointment.

List of Average DMV Wait Times by City

Los Angeles may be home to the glitz and glamor of Hollywood, but that doesn’t do much to relieve the pressures those living there feel at the DMV. With more than 20 different DMV California field offices to pick from, some had much worse wait times than others. The downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood and Long Beach DMV California field offices averaged between 86 and almost 93 minutes when waiting without an appointment. The good news? You could knock that wait time down to 5 to 15 minutes if you book in advance through online registration.
Booking an appointment before heading to the DMV could save you a lot of time. At some LA field offices, such as Van Nuys and Fullerton, booking ahead could save you 50 minutes or more. In the Hollywood Department of Motor Vehicles office, the difference was staggering – more thanan 87-minute wait without an appointment and fewer than 5 minutes with an appointment. You don’t need to be a celebrity to get VIP treatment in this part of Hollywood – you just need to plan and have some technical savvy.

Downtown LA Has Some of the Longest Wait Times

Los Angeles might have its ups and downs with DMV wait times, but downtown LA is pretty cut and dry. Without an appointment, those visiting can expect to wait roughly anywhere between 90 to 110 minutes to be seen. Based on the wait times that we examined, Friday was the worst day to visit.

Shorten Your Wait in Line by Choosing the Right Time of Day

Rush-hour traffic in LA can be just as miserable. It’s possible certain peaks might relate to carefully considered lunch hour errands in favor of postwork traffic delays. The time between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. had the longest wait – averaging more than 100 minutes every day of the week.

Bay Area DMVs Aren’t Much Better

The Bay Area might be one of the best cities in the country for public transportation, but San Francisco and the surrounding areas still utilize the DMV quite frequently. Outside the main city, DMV wait times at Walnut Creek, the Oakland Coliseum and Concord were the worst – they averaged between 62 and 78 minutes for a customer without an appointment. Not even the splendid Bay view can help temper the frustration of waiting for your number to be called at these offices.
However, in San Francisco, Corte Madera and Novato, wait times were significantly shorter. They averaged between 14 and 20 minutes (you might not even be able to scroll through your entire Instagram feed before making it up to the counter). These quick turnarounds may be due to the decreasing number of young people who are driving in the city.

Parts of San Diego County are No Walk in the Park Either

San Diego is the eighth largest U.S. city based on population and second most populated city in California (second only to LA).
In Poway, located in San Diego County, wait times for the DMV climb by more than 86 minutes. San Marcos Rancheros, San Ysidro and El Cajon are among those that also averaged more than an hour wait without an appointment at their Department of Motor Vehicles.
The best wait time averages were in the San Diego office, but unfortunately, it’s still more than 57 minutes. Thankfully, there are more than just beautiful views to keep you occupied in America’s Finest City while you’re waiting.

Best Ways to Pass the Time in Line at the DMV

The DMV isn’t exactly known as one of the most rewarding human experiences – but at some point or another, most of us will find ourselves there. In California, the wait times can be especially horrendous. In places like Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego, there isn’t much you can do to escape the insufferable service wait times (besides, of course, booking online before you go).
Here are a couple of ideas to pass the time if you happen to find yourself waiting an eternity for the DMV to call your number.
You can also take the opportunity to check CheapCarInsurance.net and make sure you aren’t overpaying for car insurance. Like waiting at the DMV, car insurance is a part of life on the road, but it doesn’t have to be painful. Visit us online today to compare car insurance premiums in your area and make sure you’re getting the best deal and service available. Your free, customized quote only takes minutes to prepare and can save you thousands of dollars a year over overpriced providers. That’s worth a few of those extra minutes — and we’re never closed.

Methodology

We scraped www.dmv.ca.gov for three weeks, collecting data from 134 California DMV field offices that report their wait times online. We collected the online times once per hour five days a week. We then created our DMV wait times averages by day and time. For the U.S. map, we pulled data from a study by dmv.com.

Sources

https://www.dmv.ca.gov
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-zootopia-production-20160304-story.html
http://lifehacker.com/5974078/how-to-get-through-the-dmv-with-your-sanity-intact
http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20150331/how-bad-is-traffic-in-los-angeles-new-report-says-its-the-worst
http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2015/01/30/california-dmv-wait-times-on-the-rise-as-immigrants-apply-for-drivers-licenses/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/even-google-is-waiting-on-the-dmv_us_5649f15ee4b08cda3489971c
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/connect/5aa16cd3-39a5-402f-9453-0d353706cc9a/official.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
http://la.curbed.com/2014/3/5/10136008/the-absolute-worst-times-to-drive-on-every-freeway-in-la
https://smartasset.com/mortgage/best-cities-for-public-transportation
http://sfappeal.com/2013/10/sfs-car-contradiction-while-more-people-choose-not-to-drive-number-of-cars-registered-in-sf-continues-to-rise/
http://www.ranker.com/list/most-beautiful-cities-in-the-us/ranker-travel
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-Most-Attractive-City-Travel-Leisure-283206391.html
http://thegarage.jalopnik.com/here-are-the-some-of-the-most-bizarre-dmv-horror-storie-1711970247
http://thoughtcatalog.com/johanna-mort/2015/09/19-foolproof-ways-to-pass-the-time-at-the-dmv/

Fair Use Statement

If you find yourself waiting in any of these DMV offices and feel like sharing our findings or images, please just remember to link back to this page so that our contributors get credit. You’ll probably have more than enough time.

We spend so much time in our cars that it’s no wonder that everyone on the Internet has tried their best to make riding in them easier and more comfortable.
Cars are essential to daily living, allowing young professionals to commute to work each day and entire families to jump from one activity to the next. Cars are the ultimate status symbol, too, and owners are proud to showcase their great paint jobs and shiny surfaces to show how much care and pride they’ve put into their ride.

People who own vehicles can be inventive at finding ways to improve the ride, whether it’s for maintenance and cleaning, storage, emergency fixes, or driving efficiency. We’ve compiled this ultimate car hack list to cover everything that entails driving, riding in, and owning a car so that you don’t need to look anywhere else. You’re welcome!

Cleaning and Storage

1. Clean your headlights with toothpaste. Rub ¼ teaspoon of paste onto a headlight and buff with a piece of cloth until the sticky residue is gone. Your headlights will stay clear even after it rains!

 
2. Store car essentials easily by hanging a shoe organizer onto the back of the front seats. All those pockets give tons of storage options, and everything can be accessed easily. Try a shoe organizer with clear pockets so you can identify what’s in it right away and grab what you need.

 
3. What keeps your hair shiny can do the same for your car. Use hair conditioner give your car a new look without having to spend hours waxing and buffing it. After a gentle wash using water mixed with a tiny amount of dish soap, run a microfiber cloth soaked in diluted hair conditioner over the entire car before hosing it down. Get the exact formula here.

 
4. Declutter your windshield by stripping off old registration stickers without leaving a mess. The trick is to wet the sticker enough to weaken the adhesive. Soak a piece of cloth with warm water and hold it under and against the sticker for a few minutes. Peel the sticker away carefully and then give your windshield a once over with glass cleaner to erase the sticky spots.
You can also pour some water onto a piece of cling wrap and stick it onto the registration sticker to get the same effect.

5. They sound like great ideas, but using a vacuum and tape roller just won’t cut it when trying to remove pet hair from upholstery. Simply take a rubber glove and run it all over the affected area until the fibers turn into clumps that you can easily pick up.

6. No need for expensive bug solutions that don’t work well. Gently remove dead bugs from the front of your car using just water and dryer sheets. Place a dryer sheet in a spray bottle with some water and spray onto the bug mess. After a few minutes, the bug residue will easily come away when you rub it off with another dryer sheet.

7. Say goodbye to trash in your car by chucking it into a plastic cereal box that you can keep by your feet. The lid keeps odors from spreading throughout the vehicle, and lining the box with a plastic bag makes for easy cleaning.

8. Traveling with kids can be a pain when they start bickering with each other in the backseat. Use a shower caddy as a distracting seat divider by storing things they can use for fun activities during the drive, such as toys, books and crayons. The caddy can be a cinch to remove when grownups need to ride in the back.

 
9. Get rid of unsightly scuffs on your car by rubbing some toothpaste on them. Toothpaste not only cleans your teeth but it can also keep your car surface spotless.

 
10. Keep your pets safe and comfortable during travel by placing a car seat hammock in the back. A car seat hammock looks like a big blanket that can be hooked onto the headrests of your car. Using it prevents your furry friend from falling onto the floor whenever you hit the brakes. Learn how to make one here.

 
11. An empty gum container can hold your loose change better than your coin tray, which can be used for something else when needed.

 
12. If you run out of windshield washer fluid (yep, that’s the stuff that squirts onto your windshield to clean it), make your own! You can make it with diluted glass cleaner, a mix of dish soap and ammonia, or vinegar or water (only in cold weather—vinegar can stink in warm weather!). Get the formulations here.

13. Cup holders are super useful, but the worst thing about them is having to fish the gunk that you find at the bottom: crumbs, sticky spills, etc. Keep your cup holders clean by putting in silicone cupcake liners that you can easily take out to wash.

14. Use a can of compressed air to blast dirt out of your air conditioning vents. If the air seems a little musty after doing this, you can place a cotton ball with a few drops of essential oils between the vents when the air conditioning is turned on.

15. Reach the small crevices of air vents and other parts of your dashboard by using cotton balls, swabs or sponges to clean them.

 
16. Easily clean the interior of your car with wipes. Save up on auto detailing wipes by making your own using thick paper towels and a nifty cleaning solution that you can find here.

17. Whether it’s food, dirt under their shoes, or art supplies, a mess can be made by children on the floor of your car during travel. Place a rag mat on the floors so you can easily take them out to clean them at the end of the trip.

18. Commercial cleaners for the car can be expensive, toxic and hard to use. Get stubborn stains out of upholstery or carpets with a DIY cleaner made of hydrogen peroxide and essential oils. Find out how to make the cleaner and take the stain out here.

19. Your SUV has a lot of space in the back that can further be optimized to carry more things. Double that space using this DIY shelf that provides two levels of storage. Meanwhile say goodbye to squished groceries.

20. Utilize the space between car seats and store knick-knacks or important objects with a remote control caddy. Every seat can help carry multiple objects.

 
21. Hooking a carabiner somewhere in the backseat has many uses. You can hang coats and dry cleaning so that the hangers aren’t sticking out awkwardly. Hang grocery bags as well to prevent them from rolling around on your backseat and possibly falling onto the floor.

22. That tray underneath your car stereo can do with some hacking. Use small trays to organize odds and ends such as coins, sunglasses and audio jacks.

23. For extra storage inside the car, attach a bungee net to the roof handles. This allows you to make use of the extra overhead space.

 
24. These days, it’s important to place your phone or GPS device where you can see it to navigate properly. Use binder clips to make a very flexible phone or GPS mount. Instructions can be found here.

 
25. Or, if you don’t feel like doing too much assembly, you can thread a rubber band through the air vents to hold your phone in place.

26. Keep all your car fluids where you can easily access them. Use a shower caddy to organize fluids in your trunk.

27. Your windshield can accumulate some tough messes such as dead insects, paint splashes and sap. Carefully scrape your windshield with a razorblade to get the worst of it off. The windshield can then be buffed with glass cleaner to remove the rest.

 
28. Those backseat activities during a long road trip can tend to get messy, especially when children are using art materials. Use an iron and paper bag to get crayon stains out of your upholstery.
 

29. Keep a newly cleaned car smelling fresh using a DIY air freshener made of baking soda and essential oils.

30. Streaky windshield wipers are annoying and can further obscure a driver’s vision. Clean your windshield wipers with alcohol for a smooth wipe.

 
31. A little extra TLC goes a long way with car leather, allowing you to have gleaming surfaces in your car that look classy. Clean your car leather with a mixture made of olive and essential oil plus water.

 
32. After washing your tires, you can make your hubcaps gleam by cleaning them with baking soda. Simply add half a cup of baking soda and one tablespoon of dish soap to two cups of water and rub the mixture onto your tires and hubcaps.

 
 

Emergency Fixes

1. Minor dents in your car can be removed using a plunger. Just pour some hot, soapy water onto the car surface to give the plunger proper suction, place the plunger in the middle of the dent, and pump a few times until the dent pops out.

2. Some older cars don’t have a cupholder, making on-the-go beverages a luxury you can’t have. Use a tape roll to serve as a makeshift cupholder.

3. Corrosion at your battery terminals can cause problems for you on the road. Use soda to remove corrosion during an emergency situation by pouring some directly on the battery’s problematic spots.

4. If the fan belt breaks, replace it with pantyhose so you can bring your car into the shop.

5. Keep a small crack on your windshield from spreading with clear nail polish. Dab an appropriate amount on the crack to lengthen the life of your windshield.

6. If you find yourself locked out of your car, there’s a simple method to use that won’t scratch it up. Unlock a car with shoelace by making a slipknot and inserting the lace through the door. You can use the knot to “grab” the lock, tighten it, and pull the lace up to unlock the door.

7. Scratches on your paint job are unsightly, and there are times when it would be difficult to bring your vehicle to the shop. Make a quick, temporary fix by applying nail polish closest to your car’s color on the offending marks.

 

Winter-proof for the Holidays

1. Mother Nature can help defrost your car during winter. Try parking your car facing east so that when daylight comes the sun will help melt the ice that has formed on it.

2. Your car door locks can freeze overnight, and it would be a bad idea to force your key in because it might snap off in the cold. Unfreeze your lock with hand sanitizer by applying it directly to the lock. It always pays to keep a bottle in your car, especially since it also serves as a disinfectant.
 

3. With colder temperatures outside of your car, your body warmth and breath can quickly fog up your windshield and windows, making for dangerous driving conditions. Applying shaving cream to windows and wiping it off will defog them better than anything else.

 
4. Windows can also frost up inside your car because of higher moisture levels. Make sure to remove any liquids like bottled water before you leave your car overnight. Place some cat litter in a sock and leave it in the car overnight to prevent frost.

5. Cat litter can also be used to help get you out of a slippery situation. When your car can’t move because of the ice, put cat litter under your tires to get traction. Another pro tip is to always keep a huge bag of cat litter in your car so that the added weight can push down on your rear tires and improve traction as well.

6. Your tires will need to be in tip-top shape (read: enough threading) for you to be able to drive on ice and snow. Check tire threads with the penny test for safe driving. Find out how here.

7. If you find your windshield and windows iced over after a night in the outdoors, melt the frost with a mixture of vinegar and water. Get the proper proportions here.

8. Did you forget your ice scraper at home on the first snow day of winter? Use any plastic card as an emergency ice scraper.

9. When the cold weather comes, your car becomes a warm and inviting place for small animals. Mouse-proof your vehicle by putting dryer sheets under the hood.

10. Use old socks to cover windshield wipers during a night outdoors so that they don’t freeze to your windshield. It would help to raise them first as well.

11. Prevent car doors from freezing shut by spraying a layer of cooking oil on the rubber lining and wiping it down with a piece of cloth.

12. Protect your side mirrors from the icy elements and prevent them from freezing by placing plastic bags over them. Gallon-sized Ziplocs work well for this.

13. Store some flattened cardboard boxes in your trunk to use for traction in the snow. Place them under your tires as you drive away.

 

More Cool Tips

1. In a large parking lot, you can unlock your car sooner by increasing the range of your key fob. Holding your key fob up to your chin basically makes use of the fluids in your body to act as an antenna extension.

2. Remember where you parked with the simplest tool ever: your smartphone’s camera. Take a photo of the section of the parking lot, noting the letter and number painted on the nearest column to where you parked.

 
3. Save fuel by switching off the engine after more than 10 seconds of being motionless—this is better than staying idle. Avoid stop-start driving to further save on fuel.

4. Always make sure that your tires are inflated to the maximum so that the drive becomes smoother, which will allow you to save gas. It would be great to check tire pressure every other time you gas your car up.

5. Sometimes, human error can strike even in the comfort of your own garage, resulting in you driving into the wall. This nifty device that employs a tennis ball to help you gauge when your car is the right distance from the wall. Here is how to make it.

 
6. Driving a car that isn’t yours? Here’s how to tell on which side to gas up: the fuel gauge usually has an arrow indicating where your gas tank’s cap is situated.

7. Protect your car doors from hitting the garage walls with plastic noodles. Cut one plastic noodle in half and place each half on either side of your car, around the height where the car door is most likely to hit the wall.

8. Use reflective paint on the inside of your car door (where the lock mechanism is) so that it can easily be seen by people or cars passing by when it’s open. Here is how to apply the paint. Alternatively, you can also use reflective tape.

9. Make your car documents more easily accessible by keeping them in an organizer in the glove compartment. This way, it’s easy to find them when they need to be taken out.

10. You can make a cool tissue dispenser that fits into your cup holder by placing tissues in a recycled coffee cup. This cup gets your tissues off the floor and allows you to recycle all the extra napkins you get with take-out. Find the tutorial here.

 
11. Here’s a really easy way to cool down a hot car: Open one window in front; go to the opposite door and flap it open and closed five times in succession. This action will cause a one-way air flow that will significantly lower the temperature of your car.

12. Make a DIY diffuser for your car by gluing felted balls onto a clothespin and dropping essential oils on them. Clip the clothespin onto your air vent and the musty smell will be banished from the vehicle.

13. Turn your steering wheel 180 degrees when parking on a hot day to lessen the heat on the top. When you return to the car, the part of the steering wheel you usually hold will be cooler to the touch.

14. Make iced water for your road trip by turning a half-filled Nalgene bottle on its side in the freezer. Upon taking it out, you can pour water in and have cold water in the car for hours.

15. A shower caddy can also be used for no-mess drive-thru eating, especially when kids are involved.

16. Make an iPad holder for your car’s head rest—you can show your children’s favorite movies to keep the entertained during an especially long trip. Here’s how to make one on your own.

17. Use tea infusers and natural herbs to make a DIY car freshener. Combinations of rosemary leaves, cinnamon sticks, lavender, and other plants make for a cheap way to leave your car smelling great.

18. This DIY seatbelt pillow is convenient and comfortable. It even has a pocket for your smartphone or media player. Here’s how to make it.

The war between the sexes has been raging since the dawn of time, and driving prowess is definitely among the most hotly contested of them all. For whatever reason, men love to claim that they are superior to women when it comes to driving.
Unfortunately for them, many reputable studies show that women have many inherent traits that make them safer and more conscientious drivers. Whoever said good road manners make excellent drivers, though? Just because women look like superior drivers on paper doesn’t mean that they actually are…right?

While many credible studies show that women don’t tend to drink and drive as often as men, or that their maternal instincts make them more careful drivers, these are certainly not the end of the story when it comes to the driving acumen of man versus woman. Like most other things, there is plenty of evidence out there that refutes the claim that women are better drivers than men. In fact, the prevailing sentiment continues to persist that men best women when it comes to matters of the road.

If men are going to boast about their driving skills to women on the open road, they might as well have some ammunition to back it up, and most of these points are backed up by reputable studies:

1: Men are involved in fewer crashes
Most people automatically assume that male drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents. After all, guys tend to be a lot more aggressive behind the wheel. There are plenty of studies that show that men are more dangerous drivers, but a study by Johns Hopkins Schools of Medicine and Public Health flies in their faces.
The study, which was conducted all the way back in 1998, examined the total number of crashes — non-fatal and fatal alike — and tallied them up by sex. The results were quite interesting, to say the least.
The study showed that men have, on average, 5.1 crashes for every one million miles that they drive. Women, on the other hand, have 5.7 crashes for the same number of miles driven. These results are even more telling when you consider the fact that men drive 74 percent more miles than women do.

MORE: 13 Reasons Why Women Are Better Drivers Than Men
The researchers involved in the study did say that younger male drivers tend to skew things considerably, too. Under age 20, male drivers are more likely to be involved in crashes. Between ages 20 and 35, women and men are equally likely to be involved in crashed. Over age 35, women are more likely to be involved in crashes.

2. Men are less distracted by cell phones
We’re all familiar with the cliché of the female tethered to the phone, providing an intricate account of the days events to anyone who will listen. This is one cliché that appears to have been substantiated. According to a recent Nielsen survey*, women talk on the phone 22 percent more than men each month; a total of 14 hours and 16 minutes — presumably many of those hours logged while navigating a multi-ton automobile through the city streets.
According to the National Highway Safety Administration, 6,000 car crashes a year involve an inattentive driver. The number one culprit is, you guessed it… cellphone usage.

3. Sleep deprivation and PMS
Most of us have likely incurred the wrath of an important female in our lives during “that time of the month”. The wrath just might be warranted though — sleep deprivation is a common symptom of PMS.
A study conducted by the Human Sleep Research Program* found that women with PMS tend to report more sleep-related complaints, including wakefulness, insomnia and fatigue. Sleep deprivation and driving is a potent mix– data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates that over 40,000 crashes per year in the United States occur due to driver drowsiness and fatigue.

4. Both sexes agree that men are better drivers
While studies can be flawed, gut instinct is hard to argue. Plenty of polls have been conducted that gauge the road prowess of the sexes. A recent one* conducted by Harris-Decima, a Canada-based pollster, showed that 36 percent of respondents claimed that men were better drivers — compared to just 29 percent who made the same claim about women.
Interestingly enough, 48 percent of male respondents said that men were better drivers, while only 25 percent of women thought that their skills trumped those of men on the road.
Some would say sexism is to blame, and perhaps men are just over confident in their abilities*, but it looks like plenty of women will willingly agree that men are superior drivers.

5. Vast majority of winning race car drivers are men
In the world of auto racing, the vast majority of participants are guys, and in terms of winning, too. Driving techniques are a hot topic among men, who will sit and debate the merits of driving in the fast lane versus the slow lane for hours and hours; most women’s eyes will glaze over during such a conversation.

6. Car-related female fatalities on the rise
While many are ready to point to studies that show that female drivers, few people have noticed some of the key studies showing that men are indeed better drivers in some regards.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study showed that traffic fatalities among women have increased within the last 25 years, while the number of male deaths during that same time period have decreased.

7. Men pass the driving test faster
From a very young age, most boys show a natural inclination towards using motorized vehicles. Some would say that this a classic example of “nature versus nurture” and the whole gender stereotyping thing – in other words, boys’ parents are more likely to encourage them to enjoy cars than their female counterparts. That being said, there’s no denying the fact that guys, as a general rule, have a strong natural ability and comprehension when it comes to cars.

8. Judging speed, spatial analysis and math
One of the most interesting differences appear in the way men and women estimate time, judge speed of things, carry out mental mathematical calculations, orient in space and visualize objects in three dimensions, etc.
In all these tasks, women and men are strikingly different, as they are too in the way their brains process language. This may account, scientists say, for the fact that there are many more male mathematicians, airplane pilots, bush guides, mechanical engineers, architects and race car drivers than female ones.
Not only can men play Tetris better, but they can navigate a car better through complex environments too.

9: Men are more experienced with cars
The automobile was invented by a man (Karl Benz), and for the most part, tinkered with ever since by men as well. as men seem to have an intuitive grasp of how automobiles work.
That’s not to say that women don’t play a part in modern-day automobile engineering. Men tend to start driving at a younger age, and also tend to log more miles. They tend to improve their driving knowledge as well.

10. Pets in car and obstructed mirrors
One fact seems to be irrefutably true: Women are more likely to drive around with dogs in their cars. Celebrities like Paris Hilton have made owning pint-sized accessory dogs the “in” thing to do. As a result, scads of female imitators are running around with teeny-tiny dogs of their own. Men are more likely to have their dog in the back of their pickup truck, where they won’t get in the way.

MORE: Safety Tips for Driving With Pets
Survey’s have also shown that female drivers are more likely to hang things from their rear-view mirrors. In doing so, they obstruct their view and aren’t going to be as well-equipped for dealing with on-the-road incidents. Hanging random things from a rear-view mirror is a surefire way to reduce visibility — and to increase the odds of an otherwise avoidable accident. Guys aren’t totally immune to this problem, but it’s a lot more common among women.

The Bottom Line
Will the war between the sexes — at least when it comes to driving skill — ever be won? Probably not. The preceding points, though, can be used as ammunition in any given battle. No side will ever willingly admit defeat, but anyone who says that women are infinitely superior at driving needs to be made aware of these compelling points. Anyone who denies or downplays them just doesn’t want to admit how true they really are.



http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts_2005/gender.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3730094
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sex/articles/spatial_tests.shtml
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-life/cheney/men-vs-women-who-are-better-drivers/article1653975
http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n11/mente/eisntein/cerebro-homens.html
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/auto.html
http://www.askmen.com/top_10/cars/top-10-reasons-women-cant-drive_1.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article513993.ece
http://www.ctlawtribune.com/getarticle.aspx?ID=37988
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/06/980618032130.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/06/980618032130.htm
http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/african-americans-women-and-southerners-talk-and-text-the-most-in-the-u-s/
http://www.distraction.gov/stats-and-facts/
http://www.sleep-aid-center.com/pms-and-sleep-women-with-severe-pms-perceive-their-sleep-quality-to-be-poor/
http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/drowsy_driving1/drowsy.html

By Aaron Crowe
If you’ve ever had the bad luck of being hit on the head by the trunk of your car, jammed a finger in a closing car door, or fell while getting out of your truck, you’re not alone.
An estimated 647,000 people were injured each year in 2011 and 2012 in non-crash car injuries, according to a March 2015 report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA.
Some people may shake off these injuries as nothing and won’t seek medical attention. Others will go to their doctor or a hospital emergency room and have their health insurance pay for treatment.
If a vehicle led to the injury, even if it’s not involved in a crash, car insurance will often pay for the treatment — a consideration many injured people may not think about because their first inclination is likely to go to their health care provider.

Personal injury protection may help

Many non-crash injuries should be covered if your auto insurance policy has personal injury protection (PIP) or medical payments (MedPay) coverage.
PIP generally covers bodily injuries from the ownership, maintenance or use of a vehicle. MedPay typically covers injuries that happen while someone is in the vehicle, including entering and exiting it.
State laws and an insurance company’s own rules can cause policies to vary. Contact your insurance agent for definitions of bodily injury under PIP and MedPay coverage.
In Massachusetts, for example, PIP coverage applies to the following individuals, says Ramsey Bahrawy, a lawyer in North Andover, MA:

• Anyone occupying the insured vehicle with consent;
• The insured or insured member of the household who is injured while occupying an automobile not having PIP coverage or if struck as a pedestrian by an auto not having PIP coverage; and
• Any pedestrian struck by the insured auto in Massachusetts or any Massachusetts resident struck by the insured auto outside of the state. New Hampshire pedestrians are not covered by PIP if struck in New Hampshire by a Massachusetts vehicle.

PIP doesn’t cover motorcycles or their passengers and isn’t payable if workers’ compensation benefits are available to the claimant, Bahrawy says.
Personal injury protection is required by law in Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oregon and Utah. MedPay is required as part of car insurance coverage in Maine and New Hampshire.
Most other states offer PIP or MedPay as optional coverage’s.
MedPay will pay directly to the injured if the injuries are directly related to a crash, in, upon, exiting or entering a vehicle, Bahrawy says. The person must occupy the insured vehicle with consent.
There’s also the issue of if your car insurance company requires its coverage to be primary or secondary to health coverage.
“So many carriers want to be secondary if there’s a primary” health insurer, says Dan Young, senior vice president of insurance relations at Carstar, an auto body repair service.
One of the main benefits of MedPay is that there isn’t a deductible, whereas most health insurance requires a deductible, Young says. That’s less money out of the injured person’s pocket.
If you don’t have health insurance, PIP or MedPay can help pay for medical treatment when it’s needed the most.

Common non-crash auto injuries

Here are some of the most common ways to be injured by a car, most of which don’t involve the car being in an accident, and if auto insurance will cover the related medical treatment:

• Hand slammed in door, trunk lid, etc.: The NHTSA reported 132,000 annual injuries, or 20 percent overall, from a closing door. It’s the most common injury listed in the report. Being stuck by a trunk lid happened 10,000 times, or in 5 percent of non-crash incidents, and being struck by the hood happened 5,000 times, or in 2 percent of cases. An estimated 2,000 people were injured closing a window. Fortunately, most people — 94 percent — were treated and released for non-crash injuries, the NHTSA reports. Slamming a finger or other body part in a closing car door, or being hit by a trunk lid, should be covered by your auto insurance policy’s PIP or MedPay coverage.
• Jump or fall out: A fall from a vehicle, whether on purpose such as jumping out of a truck bed, or on accident, happened 75,000 times per year, or 12 percent of the time, the NHTSA found. A total of 147,000 people, or 23 percent of non-crash accidents, happened from entering or exiting a vehicle.You’re considered a vehicle occupant during such incidents, when PIP and medical payments should cover the injuries. If you’re among the 38,000 people annually who fall from vehicles, such as sitting on the tailgate or take a misstep, your injuries should also be covered by PIP or MedPay. In general, coverage applies when the injury is casually related to the driving or use of the car, says Jonathan Stein, a lawyer in Elk Grove, California. “If your kid is playing on the car and using it to hide during a game of ‘war,’ then the injury is not covered if they hurt themselves,” Stein says. “You need to generally be driving the car and have the injury casually related to the driving of the car.”
• Overexertion: This injury, such as from unloading cargo, is the third most common non-crash injury the NHTSA reported, with 68,000 incidents per year, making up 11 percent of all non-crash incidents. Don’t expect your car insurer to cover it. It will likely be described as a self-inflicted injury that could have been prevented by pacing yourself and isn’t directly related to the operation of your car.
• Kicking a car: About 55,000 people injure themselves each year by hitting or kicking a vehicle. However angry you are, kicking, hitting or somehow striking your car are intentional acts that are unlikely to be covered by auto insurance if they lead to injuries. You’ll likely need to use health insurance for such injuries.

If you were to ask just about any random person on the street, they’d probably say that men tend to be better drivers than women. It’s not clear how this misconception began, but there’s plenty of evidence out there to refute it.

While few people would argue with the fact that men tend to be more mechanically inclined – and, as such, more knowledgeable about how cars work – the truth is that in terms of safety, female drivers have male drivers beat by a considerable margin. Not convinced? We’ve culled the darkest depths of the Internet – including some very prominent sources – to bring you 13 definitive reasons why women are better drivers than men; check them out below.

1. Men feel like they “own the road”

According to a New York City traffic study, a participant is quoted regarding the tendency of men to feel like they “own the road.” While there is no definitive way to quantify how many men feel this way, virtually anyone who has been a passenger in a car driven by a guy can attest to this fact.
MORE: 10 Reasons Why Men Are Better Drivers Than Women

Many of the aggressive behaviors that men exhibit while behind the wheel could very well stem from their belief that the road is “theirs.” In turn, disregard for other drivers results in higher numbers of accidents and fatalities. Women tend to be more comfortable with the concept of sharing the road with others, and don’t tend to be possessive or territorial about their driving habits.

2. Motherly instincts are a plus

In an article about a New York City traffic study that generally shows 80 percent of all serious pedestrian accidents were caused by male drivers, the New York Times quotes a respondent who cites motherly instincts as being a major advantage that women have over men.
Most people would agree that the majority of women are born with innate, nurturing instincts. Those instincts could make women more conscientious about being safe drivers. Most women have a natural tendency to want to protect those around them.
Therefore, they are more likely to be defensive drivers and to steer as clear of accident-causing behaviors as possible.  Being a caring mother may pay off to becoming a caring, and therefore safer, driver.

3. Scantily clad women are a distraction

During the summer months, women are commonly seen walking around in decidedly skimpy attire. Some drivers tend to have a more difficult time keeping their eyes on the road when scantily-clad women walk by – and it’s fairly easy to surmise who they are. ABC News highlighted a study by the British car insurance agency Sheilas’ Wheels* that reports some very interesting facts about male drivers’ focus on the road during the summer.
According to the study, approximately 29 percent of men report having trouble keeping their attentions on the road when skimpily-attired women pass them by. Needless to say, female drivers don’t tend to have the same issue. More tellingly, men file about 16% more insurance claims during the summer than women do.

4. Women have fewer accidents

Male drivers often insist that they have more skill and finesse on the road than female drivers do. This may be true, but proving or disproving such a claim is virtually impossible. What can be quantified, though, are accident statistics. According to Quality Planning (an insurance statistics company), their study shows that male drivers are significantly more likely to cause accidents than female drivers are.
MORE: Should You Wait Until Age 18 to Get a License?

Most people would agree that accidents are definite signs of being not-so-skilled behind the wheel – after all, accident-prone drivers put all other drivers at risk every time they hit the road. As popular as the stereotype of the fender-bender-causing female may be, the stats show that men have a lot more problems in that area.

5. Women have longer attention spans

Recently, a whole lot of attention has been giving to the dangers of texting while driving. Prior to that, a huge movement about the dangers of talking on cell phones while driving was conducted. Taking your attention away from the road is definitely a recipe for disaster, and it stands to reason that those with shorter attention spans are more likely to experience problems in that department.

The University of Bradford study suggests that estrogen tends to give women much longer attention spans than men. Despite the popular stereotype of female drivers who apply makeup and perform other frivolous tasks behind the wheel, it is clear that women tend to be able to focus more carefully on important matters.

6. Women are better at following road rules

According to the same study above, women have a much better ability to learn rules than men do. This fact is also attributed to the hormone estrogen, and could explain why female drivers tend to be cited for far fewer traffic violations than men. The fact that women have a natural tendency to absorb and obey the rules could make them safer, and better, drivers.

7. Women break fewer traffic laws than men

According to the same study by Quality Planning*, women tend to break fewer traffic laws than their male counterparts. The fact that male drivers are more like to wave away traffic laws as being silly or superfluous is undeniably dangerous. Such laws are in place to maintain order and safety on the road. The study shows that statistically, men are much more likely to be cited for a litany of traffic violations.
A few top examples include reckless driving, DUIs, speeding, failure to yield and stop sign/signal violations. If you see a guy driving around, it’s a lot more likely that he’ll cause a serious accident by disobeying traffic laws than it would be if he were a female driver.

8. Women outlive men in general

The fact that women tend to outlive men is pretty much common knowledge. According to the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University*, 85 percent of those who live beyond the age of 100 are women. The article highlights several reasons for this; one of them involves the famously dangerous and aggressive behaviors of teenage males and guys in their twenties.
The so-called “testosterone storm” that occurs during that age period surely has a significant impact on male driving habits. Women, of course, don’t have to cope with testosterone-fueled behavior shifts. As a result, they are much more likely to live through their teenage and young adult years; safer habits and behaviors, including those behind the wheel, help women outlive men by 5 to 10 years, on average.

9. Women have fewer driving-related fatalities

The Insurance Information Institute* brings additional information to light regarding the driving habits of men versus those of women. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, male drivers are significantly more likely to be involved in fatality-causing accidents than women are.
Aggressive driving habits tend to be at the center of this phenomenon. Risk of fatalities between both sexes tends to go down as drivers’ ages go up, further reinforcing the concept that aggressive and risk-taking behaviors – which tend to be the provenance of the young and unskilled – trigger more deaths than anything else on the road.

10. Men aren’t the only race car drivers

NASCAR fans will attest that the fact that the vast majority of race car drivers are men signifies that men are more skilled behind the wheel. You’d have to be living under a rock, though, to be unaware of the fact that there is one glaring exception to this rule. Her name is Danica Patrick, and she’s proven to be one of the most skilled race car drivers out there.
MORE: Which Car Insurance Company Offers the Best Deals?

In addition to participating in NASCAR/ARCA racing, Patrick has been a prominent fixture on the IndyCar Series for some time, and the first woman ever to win an Indy race, and recently placed 3rd in the Indianapolis 500. While some would argue that one female driver amid hundreds of guys doesn’t mean a whole lot, the fact remains that men do not hold a strict monopoly in the world of auto racing.

11. Women are more likely to wear seatbelts

While buckling a seatbelt isn’t necessarily a sure sign of driving prowess, it does indicate a more conscientious approach to operating a motor vehicle. Several studies, including the one from SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) notes that about 12.5% of male students admit to rarely or never using seatbelts. That’s compared with about 7.8% of female students.
Having the wherewithal to use a seatbelt is a clear demonstration that a driver takes safety on the road seriously. Most would agree that safety on the road is a clear indication of skill behind the wheel.

12. Men are more likely to drink and drive

Drinking and driving is one of the leading causes of traffic accidents and fatalities* according to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving). The aforementioned NYC traffic study touches upon the fact that men are more likely to take drugs and drink before getting behind the wheel. A huge amount of evidence exists, such as the Michigan Drunk Driving Audit, to support the fact that men are much more likely to be arrested and convicted of DUIs than women.
Again, this concept could be tied to men’s sense of power and control over the road, and to their more aggressive tendencies in general. The fact that women are more reluctant to drive while impaired reinforces the concept that they are safer, more conscientious drivers than men.

13. Testosterone can lead to aggression

Despite the widespread belief that an overabundance of testosterone may lead to aggressive behavior, many recent studies, such as one by the New York Academy of Sciences*, suggest that a deficiency of the famous male hormone may be behind more aggressive behavior.
Evidence about such a link is still unclear, but there is definitely a fundamental difference in the way that men and women behave in many scenarios. Since aggressive driving tends to be a higher problem among male drivers, there’s a very real possibility that testosterone is somehow to blame.

Conclusion:

Do the preceding points definitively prove that women are better drivers than men? Not necessarily. When considered on a case-by-case basis, it’s easy to refute or downplay those points. When taken as a whole, though, they present a very compelling argument for the fact that women tend to be safer, more conscientious – and better – drivers. Regardless of how much evidence exists – and continues to crop up – there’s no doubt that the never-ending battle between the sexes will continue. As long as men and women exist, that battle will never be definitively won. If you have a choice between being driven around by a woman or a man, though, you should probably hedge your bets and stick with the female driver.
Do you agree or disagree? Let your thoughts be heard in the comments area at the end of this page:

* Sources:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/pedsafetyreport.shtml
http://www.alphagalileo.org/
http://www.qualityplanning.com/
http://www.sheilaswheels.com/
http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/life_sciences/report-51251.html
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/pedsafetyreport.shtml
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/29773.php
http://www.iii.org
http://www.sadd.org/stats.htm
http://www.madd.org/Drunk-Driving/Drunk-Driving/Statistics.aspx
http://www.michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7-123-1645_3501_4626-27728–,00.html
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1196/annals.1330.016/abstract

Putting a “For sale” sign in a car’s window and leaving it near a busy intersection for a weekend may be the easiest way to sell a used car.
Social media negotiations such as text messages, however, are quickly gaining ground.
Swapalease.com, a middleman between sellers and buyers of car leases, has found that about 25% of its customers use text messages to negotiate their deals, up from about 5% in 2010.
Text messages are a quick way to negotiate factors such as financial incentives offered by sellers, how the buyer will get the car, if the car’s still available and current mileage, for example.
Texts are usually responded to quicker than phone calls, says Brad Rogers, a Swapalease customer in Ohio who sold a car lease.
“Everyone checks their texts and emails all day long, so we communicated very well,” Rogers says of the 10 or so texts and emails he and a buyer sent to each other during the process.
With 82% of people using smartphones to browse the Internet, according to Nielsen’s 2013 Mobile Consumer Report, text messages are a natural way to negotiate a deal, says Scot Hall, executive vice president of operations at Swapalease. One in five digital auto buyers used their tablets or smartphones to research their vehicle purchase, according to a J.D. Power study.
“Texting is just another form of email” that’s quick and easy, Hall says.
People want out of car leases for all kinds of reasons, he says, including lifestyle changes such as moving or having children, or not be able to afford the car anymore. After a virtual handshake on a deal online, buyers must undergo a credit check and sign paperwork from the leasing company.
While face-to-face or at least phone conversations may be best for both sides, they’re not always possible, Hall says. With text and emails, negotiators should be wary of being scammed as they would with anything else online.
“With any type of online transaction you have to have your guard up,” he says.
Rogers, the car lease seller, says it was something he thought of. “That’s always in the back of your mind,” he says. “Is this a legitimate person, can they afford this car?”
The chance to negotiate with someone in person isn’t going away, but it’s slowly becoming less common.
“As people become more and more accustomed to doing things in an online environment, that does take out some of the personal side of that, and I’m not sure if that’s good or bad,” Hall says.
For Ron Stern, who sold a truck lease in Michigan, texting is part of his daily worklife as a contractor, and is as natural as any other way of working with people.
“I’m used to texting for business every day,” Stern says. “It’s just sort of natural for how I do business.”
At a time when the Internet is changing jobs and how people communicate, text messages can be the most modern way to get a deal done.
“With today’s technology it’s par for the course. It’s a part of doing business,” he says.
Aaron Crowe is a journalist in the San Francisco Bay Area who covers the auto industry for CheapCarInsurance.net.

By Aaron Crowe

Reading a car dealer’s invoice or purchase order for your new car can make you feel as though you’re reading a foreign language. There are a myriad of things to consider when you are purchasing a new vehicle, from finding an affordable car insurance policy, to reading the fine print on the list of extra surcharges.
The terms can be confusing, and unless you question them before you drive your vehicle off the lot, you may be stuck paying extra dealer fees for something you don’t really want or need. Before asking for dealer fees to be taken off your bill, you have to understand what they are.
People are often faced with many fees when buying a car, not to mention sales tax. A dealer’s invoice will list some fees, but it mostly shows the dealer’s cost to buy the car from the manufacturer. However, that cost won’t include discounts and incentives that dealers get when buying from manufacturers, making the car dealer’s cost cheaper than it appears on the paperwork.
Instead of relying on the invoice to reveal dealership fees, car buyers should ask for the purchase order for the car they want to buy, says LeeAnn Shattuck, chief “car chick” at Women’s Automotive Solutions, a car buying service. And do it long before you write a check to purchase a vehicle.
“You do not want to see those fees when you’re ready to sign on the dotted line,” Shattuck says.
The purchase order will list the buyer’s total price to get the car out the door, she says.
“Most dealers are pretty good about advertising the full price,” she says, including fees and tax information.
Some fees are a part of doing business and should be paid by the dealer, and others usually fall to the customer, such as sales tax. But there are some car dealer fees to avoid if you plan to purchase a vehicle. Here are some dealer fees to look out for, and question, on that order:
Destination Charge. Also called a shipping charge or delivery charge, this can be about $800 and is what the manufacturer charges to deliver a car to the dealership. It’s a fee that can’t be avoided and is simply part of the price of every new car, Shattuck says.
When advertising a car’s price, some dealers will subtract the destination charge from the advertised price and then add it later, making the car look less expensive than it is, she says. Or it will be in the fine print of the dealership ad.
Dealer Add-Ons. Also called dealer accessories, these don’t have to be disclosed line for line, and can range from $50 to $250 per item, and $600 total, Shattuck says.

They’re things added by the dealer to your car, which you can sometimes get the dealer to remove, she says, though some are too difficult to take off of the vehicle. They include pinstriping, wheel locks, mud guards, and nitrogen in tires. Nitrogen doesn’t expand or contract under extreme temperatures, and it is meant to provide more stable air pressure when it’s extremely hot in the summer or cold in the winter, she says.
Other dealer add-ons include rust, paint and fabric protection — all things you probably don’t need and may be able to remove during car negotiation prior to buying.
Documentation Fee. Also called an administrative fee, it can go from $500 to $800 and covers a dealer’s paperwork costs. Some states cap this dealership fee, such as $100 in New Jersey, Shattuck says, while others don’t have a limit.
“All it is is dealer profit,” she says.
California has a flat rate of $65 for documentation fees, while they can range from $359 to $800 in Nevada where they aren’t regulated, says Sarah Lee, owner of My Carlady, a car buying service.
The doc fee can’t be negotiated because anti-discrimination laws require that it be the same fee for everyone and that one class of people, for example, can’t be charged a lower fee than someone else, Shattuck says. Either everyone pays the same fee, or they don’t pay it at all.
Buyers can try to get around it by either shopping around at different dealers for the lowest doc fees, or asking a dealer to deduct the amount of the doc fee from the price of the car, Shattuck says.
Market Adjustment Fee. Mostly used on limited production cars as a way to mark up a car’s price so they have more negotiating room, car dealers use this to get thousands of dollars more for a popular car, Lee says.
Popular cars such as the Dodge Viper or Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 are in limited production and can be sold for $10,000 more than their suggested retail price with this fee, she says. The cars can become antique collectibles and can gain value.
To fight this, some manufacturers don’t allow cars to be sold for more than the MSRP — their suggested retail price — and may hold back dealer inventory if such fees are charged, Lee says.
Title/Tag Fees. These can sometimes be tied in with the doc fees at a dealership. They can save you a trip to the DMV and may be worth the expense, and some dealers may charge exactly what the DMV charges for title and license tag fees, Shattuck says. Some dealers may charge a little more money than the DMV does, so comparing costs among dealers may save you some cash when buying a car.
Dealer Prep. Also called reconditioning fees on used cars, these can run from $200 to $500, Shattuck says, and are simple things dealers do to get the car looking good and in running shape. They can include detailing, washing the car, and adding oil and other fluids. If you have to pay extra to have oil put in your car so you can drive it off the lot, you’re not getting much service from your car dealer — and that’s why this is one of the top used car dealer fees to avoid..
Desert Protection. Like the dealer add-ons listed above, this costly fee can sometimes be avoided by making sure it isn’t added to your car if you don’t want to be buying the service. It can cost from $400 to $1,900, Lee says, and is a “finish on a finish” so that you don’t have to wax or clean your car as often. It’s meant to protect a car’s finish from acidity from bird droppings and acid rain, for example.
Vehicle Theft Registration. This is another dealer add-on that can be put on a car before it’s sold, and it is difficult to remove. It costs about $400 and is an identification number that’s usually etched on the driver’s side window as a way to deter thieves, Lee says. It’s different than the VIN number and is supposed to make it easier to find the car’s owner if the stolen car is found. The etching isn’t done at the car factory, making it an easy fee for a car dealer to add at the lot.
When running into such dealer fees, the best advice may be to shop elsewhere. At the very least, ask for fees that you think are unnecessary to be removed prior to buying a vehicle. In the end, a lower price will save you money not only on what you pay for the car but also on the final amount you owe in sales tax.
“You just need to look at things upfront, ask questions and shop around,” Shattuck says.

By Aaron Crowe
Finding a great auto mechanic can be as good finding the perfect babysitter for your children. Once you find one you like, you’ll want to keep them for as long as you have small children — or a car.
Like the babysitter who naps while your children are watching TV, you may occasionally get ripped off by a mechanic or auto repair shop. Whether it’s high prices, problems not fixed properly or repairs that don’t hold up, there are some auto repair shop scams that consumers should be aware of. Some may be innocent and may just be overzealous salesmen trying to make sure your car is extra safe, while others may be simple fraud.
Here are nine auto repair scams to avoid:

1. Buying new tires for a flat. If your tires are in good condition and you get a flat, think twice before buying a new tire or a new pair of tires, recommends Stan Markuze, founder of PartMyRide.com, a used parts marketplace. “As long as your tread is in good shape, most punctures can be fixed with a patch,” Markuze says.
A tire patch usually costs less than $20, compared to $100 or more for a new tire or more than $200 for a pair. Don’t let a repairman convince you to buy a new tired when a patch will do the job, as long as the tread is still good.

2. The upsell. This is common at many businesses. Ever buy a drink and fries at a fast-food restaurant when you first asked for just a hamburger? That’s an upsell. Auto repair shops do the same thing, adding services that you may not need, Markuze says. Going in for a routine oil change is a typical time when an upsell is offered.
“A common technique used by auto mechanics is to tell car owners they need to replace the coolant in the radiator,” he says. “In reality, coolant doesn’t go bad or wear out the way oil does. While it might make sense to replace your coolant after 100,000 miles of driving, it’s not necessary for routine maintenance.”
If you’re told that more work is needed than what you came in for, go get a second opinion if you can drive away without it being a safety problem.

3. Dirty air filter that isn’t yours. This can be another upsell while your car is in the shop for another repair or regular maintenance. According to Angie’s List, a mechanic may bring out a filthy air filter to show you that isn’t from your car, but is kept to trick unsuspecting customers. Always make sure the filter you’re seeing is from your car, and know when your filters need replacement, Angie’s List recommends.
There are two types of air filters. The engine air filter keep dust and debris away from essential moving parts. You can buy one at an auto parts store and can likely install it yourself. It should last a year or about 15,000 miles.
The second air filter is the cabin air filter that’s attached to the car’s HVAC system and cleans air coming into the car to cool the driver and passengers. It’s usually found in the glovebox or under the dash of the front passenger’s seat, and most car owners should be able to replace it themselves every 15,000 to 20,000 miles.

4. Dirty fuel injectors. A repair shop mechanic may tell you that fuel injectors need to be cleaned every 15,000 or 20,000 miles. Not true. Gasoline contains detergent to keep fuel injectors clean. Someone may show you a dirty fuel injector, but don’t believe that it’s yours. Check your owner’s manual, but most fuel injectors are recommended for replacement once a year or at 35,000 miles, and even that may be too often.

5. Used parts passed off as new. If you’re paying for new parts, you should get new parts. Ask to see them before they’re installed. Check that they’re new, brand-name parts approved by the manufacturer, called Original Equipment Manufacturer, or OEM, parts.

6. Engine flush. Spending $200 on an engine flush is wasted money on a service that’s not part of normal maintenance unless you’ve neglected your engine and don’t change the oil when needed. An engine flush gets rid of sludge in an engine, which is something your engine won’t likely need if you’ve taken care of your car. Look in the oil filler lid for deposits and other gunk. A flush could break loose such sludge that could get into the engine, though you’re unlikely to see such sludge buildup.

7. Nothing lasts a lifetime. Don’t pay extra money for transmission fluid, filters, brake pads or anything else that is supposed to last for the car’s lifetime. A “lifetime” transmission fluid is only good for 35,000 miles, so don’t fall for the hype.

8. Frequent oil changes. If you go to a shop that specializes in oil replacement for your car, you’ll likely get a reminder sticker to return at 3,000 miles. That may have been accurate 20 years ago, but cars now run better and don’t need oil changes as often. Most manufacturers recommend 5,000 miles for an oil change. Check your owner’s manual for details. Also make sure you’re getting high quality oil that’s recommended by your car’s manufacturer.

9. Broken axle boot. These can be expensive, and should be repaired if it happened from normal wear and tear from driving. However, some mechanics will cut the rubber boots that cover your axle. Ask to see the damage before approving the work. A legitimate tear will be jagged and dirty with grease. If it’s not, then the mechanic may have cut it and the auto shop should pay for it.

Whatever work you get done on your car, get a written estimate and be sure that no work is done before you approve that it proceed. In the meantime, go look for a good mechanic who you can trust. It will be a relationship you’ll never regret.

By Aaron Crowe
2020 has been a year full of challenges for many Americans. Not only have we all been trying to stay healthy, we have also been faced with extreme choices tied to our economic circumstances. Many people this year have been at least threatened with the prospect of losing their home, or getting evicted, leading us to wonder where we would go. One possibility, though temporary, is always to live in your car. This may sound horrible, but reading some success stories may just get you through, and remember, living in your car will require a current auto insurance policy.
It’s impossible to know how many of the more than half a million homeless people in the United States live in their cars or have done so for a period of time. While living in your car is usually not ideal, it can be necessary for survival, and those who resort to it are often thankful to have at least a semblance of shelter from the elements.
Sutton Parks, now the owner of an office cleaning business in Franklin, Tennessee, lived in his 1993 Chrysler New Yorker for much of 2005 when he was 37-years-old after being evicted from his foreclosed home in Spring Hill, Tennessee. He had lost his job as a computer operator, and his life took an abrupt turn for the worse that left him living in his vehicle.
Just having a roof over his head — even a car roof — kept him safe and out of the rain, giving him something he says he was thankful for as he focused on survival for the time being and tried to find work.

“My mindset was, ‘I’m not doing this for the rest of my life. I’m just doing this tonight,’” says Parks, who even wrote book about his nine-month-long ordeal.

Limited storage space, no way to prepare food, and finding a place to park his vehicle were all challenges Parks faced. And while Parks says he wasn’t harassed by police or anyone else while parking overnight in parking lots at a truck stop diner or Walmart, he realizes he could have been told to move along.
Anyone whose life takes them to survival on the road can benefit from knowing how to live in your car. If the time comes when living in your car is your only option, the following information and survival tips may come in handy.

Don’t Trespass When Living in Your Car

Is it legal to live in your car? Yes, but it all depends on whose space your vehicle is occupying.
While there was a time when living in your car was difficult to accomplish legally, a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down a Florida municipal vagrancy law due to vagueness resulted in most cities abolishing their general vagrancy laws. Now a life on the road can be easier to live, so long as you understand the laws around it.
Living in a car is legal if it’s parked in your driveway or if the owner of the private property where you have parked your vehicle has given you permission to do so. But a private lot owner, such as the owner of a grocery store or shopping mall, can have the person arrested for trespassing if they spend too much time off of the road and in the lot.
Parking on a public street or in a neighborhood is subject to a jurisdiction’s parking laws. Even if there isn’t an hourly limit, a car parked for too much time could still get the attention of police, which could at minimum lead to parking tickets.
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Even when you have permission to park, some cities have specific laws against “vehicle vagrancy,” or people living in cars. The city council in Palo Alto, California, passed a law in August 2013 that makes living in a car illegal, citing safety concerns over too many vehicle dwellers in a community center parking lot. Violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Vagrancy laws may no longer be around, but even changing clothes in your car could lead to an indecent exposure citation. Also, anti-loitering laws could be enforced, meaning it’s illegal to be in one public place for too long.

Adequate Sleep, Safety a Concern for Car Dwellers

After being evicted from a house he could no longer afford, Parks’ first plan was to sleep in a tent in a state park, but the park he wanted to stay in was closed for the winter. Instead, he moved into his car, showered at a county recreation center, and spent many afternoons at a library, reading and applying for jobs.
One of the most difficult parts was falling asleep in the car, he says, even with ear plugs and a sun shade to block out light from the windshield. It was always too cold, Parks says, and he kept waking up.

“The thing with sleeping in your car is you don’t really sleep in your car,” Parks says. “You take naps.”

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When visiting a local book store, he’d sometimes fall asleep in the big, comfortable chairs.

“You’re always tired during the day,” he says. “You just can’t get a good night’s sleep.”

But is it legal to sleep in your car? A lot of the same laws mentioned above can apply. Some highways have a designated space for drowsy drivers to catch some sleep, but it can be different when you’ll be sleeping in your car for an indefinite period of time.
Survival is another concern. For safety, Parks would often park near a restaurant at a truck stop where salesmen or others would spend the night in their cars. “There’s always people sleeping in their cars in truck stops,” Parks says.
Another safe option was the parking lot at Walmart, which allows RVs to park overnight on its property.
For Parks, one of the best attributes to have while living in a car is having a positive attitude. He knew he’d get through it and would get back on his feet, and he kept being thankful that he at least had a roof over his head.

“If you’re going to be homeless in a car, the U.S. is the best place to be,” he says.

Assessing Your Needs When Living in Your Car

If you’re going to be living in your car, it’s important to know what you’ll face and need in terms of gear, food, space and storage to stay safe on the road.
Food, shelter and water are the basic staples of life and survival. Living in your vehicle means you won’t have access to kitchen gear like a refrigerator, stove or microwave to keep food fresh and prepare meals. Eating at fast food restaurants can be expensive. Have a food plan in place to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need to live a healthy life. Likewise, it can be difficult to have adequate space and storage to have lots of clean water on hand, which is also necessary for survival. Make sure you invest in the gear you’ll need to carry a clean water supply with you.
When it comes to shelter, it’s important to your survival that you avoid extreme temperatures. Your life can be in danger if your vehicle becomes too hot or cold while you’re sleeping in it. Make sure you have an alternate place to stay if inclement weather puts your life at risk.
Finally, make sure that while your basic life needs are being met, you’re also staying safe both on the road and off of it. Keep your vehicle in good repair. Park in safe places where you’re not alone. Organize your car so that it isn’t obviously you live on the road, otherwise thieves are more likely to break in when you’re away. Make sure that someone knows where you are and how to get in contact with you, and that you have the means to contact someone if you need help.
Preparation can be necessary to your survival, so make sure you take care of yourself out on the road.

 

By Aaron Crowe
If you spend more money customizing your car than on anything else, you’re not alone.
A recent report by J.D. Power found that more young drivers are buying cars, and that they want to personalize their vehicles with options to make them stand out from the crowd.
“There is a lot of discussion today about many young consumers not having the resources, interest or even passion to own a new vehicle,” says Arianne Walker, a senior director at J.D. Power, in a statement.
“However, this age group really is passionate about vehicle ownership, their driving experience and the image associated with the vehicle they buy,” Walker says. “Not only do they enjoy driving, but they also see their vehicle as a reflection of their identify.
“They want to personalize their vehicle with options and features, and tend to view it as an extension of their personality.”
The report found that 27% of drivers 25 and younger say they “completely agree” that they want to equip their vehicle with options and features to personalize it, compared with 20% of all new-vehicle drivers. Nearly twice as many (19% vs 10%) of the younger drivers “completely agree” that others can tell a lot about them by their vehicles.
Pimping your ride can get expensive. Some customization methods are more expensive than others, and the costs may not be recouped if the car is sold. With that in mind, we gathered nine smart — meaning affordable — ways to customize your car without breaking the bank:

Lights

For about $70, an HID lightbulb conversion kit can turn a car’s headlights into a light show on the road. Your headlights can be purple, yellow, or various shades of blue or white.
Another way to use lights to customize a car is with small, bright LEDs, such as lighting the carmaker’s logo. A recent listing on Panjo, a marketplace for car enthusiasts, had a lighted letter “T” for the Tesla for sale for $185. While not cheap (and neither is a Tesla), Panjo also lists many other automotive items for more common cars that are cheaper.

Shift knob

Just like adding new knobs to doors or cabinets around the house can help give a home a personal feel, so can a unique shift knob to your car. While you can plunk just about anything on the shift without having to spend anything, you could go a little wild with a customized skull for about $30. They come dressed as clowns, illuminated chrome skulls, pirates and Uncle Sam.

Steering wheel

An inexpensive steering wheel cover for $10 to $50 is one option, but we’re mainly talking about replacing your steering wheel with one that has some personality to it. For $40 to $150, an aftermarket steering wheel can give your car the look and feel of a racecar. But be forewarned: You won’t have an airbag if you install one, so be sure to buckle yourself in safely.

Decals

Like a tattoo, having too many decals on a car can look tacky. Or at least not too creative if you don’t know where to stop. But they can be a unique way to pimp your ride, and are a lot less money than a custom paint job.
We’re not talking about window decals that let people know how many people are in your family or what college you went to. We mean car body decals such as racing stripes, flames, bullet holes or scratch marks — something to make your car stand out from the crowd for $20 to $70.

Wheels

Rims and wheels with things such as spinners inside the hubcaps can turn a boring car into something worth looking at, but they can get expensive. Starting at $50 per wheel, they can quickly cost hundreds of or a thousand or so dollars each. To find something affordable, start at a wreckage yard and look for hubcaps from classic cars.

Vanity plates

For $100 or so, depending on your state, you can buy a combination of letters and numbers that are clever but not offensive. If your state’s motor vehicle department issues vanity plates, it will prohibit obscene plates, so don’t try to go there.

Seats

We’re not recommending aftermarket seats, which can easily cost $700 or more. If you’re going for inexpensive but still customizable to bring out your personality, try slipcovers for as low as $30 for a pair in a color that matches your car. If you want to make the match look complete, add matching floor mats for about $50 more.

Personal fridge

This may not exactly “pimp” out your ride, but a 12V personal refrigerator, such as one for $37 at Walmart, can be a custom device that will make driving a lot more enjoyable. Small fridges can fit in a car’s front and rear console to keep food and drinks cold. Storing beer in them while driving, however, is illegal in some states if the driver can access them.

Window tints

This is another cheap way to customize your car, though your car’s windows won’t look especially different from the many other cars on the road with tinted windows. Prices vary by location, but can cost about $90 for two front windows.
Tinted windows can reduce heat and glare, and make driving more comfortable. Check with your state’s highway patrol to see how much tinting is legal, since some states prevent extra tinting that prevents police officers from seeing into the front seats.
Remember that not all of these will increase the value of your car, or make it easier to sell. One man’s pride in his pimp ride is another man’s shame. Just remember you’ll need to get additional coverage to protect some of your improvements you make. Shop and compare your insurance rates today!
Aaron Crowe is a journalist who covers the auto industry for CheapCarInsurance.net.

Does My Car Insurance Cover Rental Cars?

You’re on a summer trip with your family and the rental car salesman asks if you’d like to add insurance to your rental. You kindly decline and, three days later, get in an accident on your way to the beach. Will your car insurance be enough to cover the accident? Read on to learn how your insurance policy will work in a rental car and everything you need to know about rental car insurance.
Car rental salesman typically relies on the fact that you don’t know what your policy covers when it comes to rentals. But most car insurance policies will extend to a rental car being used for personal reasons in the case of an accident or theft. If your policy doesn’t cover damages to a rental or you don’t have personal insurance, there are still other rental car insurance options besides those the rental company offers.

Understanding your Policy

You might be thinking “does my insurance policy cover rental cars?” In order to know what your best options are, you need to understand what your insurance policy will cover first. Below is a breakdown of the most common policy types.

Liability insurance

This type of policy covers another person’s medical bills or property damage if you cause an accident. Liability insurance is required by most states, so you probably have at least liability on your policy.

Collision insurance

Collision policies cover repairs to your vehicle if it is damaged in an accident. This covers accidents with another vehicle or object such as a fence. Collision insurance is most likely required if you are leasing or financing your car.

Comprehensive insurance

This covers any other damages to your car caused by theft, weather, or other covered disasters. It does not cover any collision damage. This policy is also likely required by the lender if you are leasing or financing.

Homeowners/renters insurance

Your auto policy won’t cover any of your personal items that may be stolen from your car, but a homeowners or renters insurance will. There are many types of homeowners and renters insurance policies, so make sure you know what your policy includes.
These policies will most likely extend to your rental car, but it’s always important to check your specific policy. Deductibles will still apply to an insurance claim made on a rental car.

Understanding Rental Car Insurance Options

Before making the choice to insure your rental car through the rental company, make sure you understand what each of their policies covers in comparison with traditional insurance.

Liability coverage

Just like normal liability coverage, rental car liability insurance is meant to cover the other person involved in an accident should one occur. If you have liability coverage, you won’t need the rental company’s coverage.

Loss Damage Waiver

Sometimes known as a CDW or LDW, it technically isn’t insurance. An LDW covers damages to the car while typically excluding any damages done from speeding or offroading. Comprehensive or collision insurance would cover you in this case, so the LDW wouldn’t be necessary.
What won’t be covered by your insurance is a “loss of use” charge. Some companies will charge you for not being able to use the car while it’s being repaired from the damages you caused. This will have to come out of your own pocket as no policies cover it.

Personal effects coverage

This covers your personal items if they are stolen out of the rental car. If you have a renters or homeowners policy with “off-premise” coverage, your belongings will be covered without the rental car insurance coverage.

Personal accident coverage

Personal accident coverage covers medical bills for you and any passengers in your car while there is a wreck. Your personal health insurance policy will cover any medical bills you have after an accident. PIP, or personal injury protection, is also required on your policy in some states and is meant for paying medical bills in the case of an accident.

Using a Credit Card for Rental Car Insurance Coverage

If you are using a credit card to pay for the rental car, there may be insurance provided through them. Insurance provided through the credit card company is secondary insurance meaning that they will only provide coverage after your primary insurance has been used. Some companies will provide coverage if you don’t have auto insurance, but make sure to confirm with your credit card issuer before assuming they will provide coverage.

Buying a Policy on Your Own

There are companies who sell standalone rental car insurance for cheaper than the rental car company will sell you. Most policies they’ll sell you at the counter range from $10-30 a day while buying from another company will typically run less than $10 a day. These policies are primary insurance, so they will pay out before your personal coverage and work even if you don’t have auto insurance. Check with your personal insurance provider to see if they offer a rental car policy before shopping around.
There’s typically no reason to buy insurance from the rental car counter. Your coverage should be enough, and if you don’t have auto insurance, there are still cheaper options. Still need help understanding if you need rental car insurance? Take a look around our site to learn everything you need to about cheap car insurance and reach out to an agent today!