How Your Personal Driving Record Affects Your Car Insurance Policy

Ann Olson
Don't think your personal driving record matters? It matters if you want an affordable car insurance policy. How you drive plays an important role in how much you owe every month, along with several other factors. If you have a poor personal driving record, car insurance companies simply won't trust you. Some of the factors that affect your car insurance policy include:

Number of car accidents. Insurance companies trust you less if you have been in several car accidents. This is not exclusive to accidents caused by you, either - accidents caused by other drivers also count against your personal driving record. It only takes one accident to raise your premium.

Traffic violations. Got caught running a red light? Traffic violations that affect your personal driving record also affect your car insurance policy. Any type of traffic violation, including running a red light or speeding, affects your insurance policy, making it difficult to get a great deal on a premium. Make sure to keep a clean personal driving record if you want to pay less.

Time between violations or accidents. Companies also check for the amount of time between violations. If it is over two years since your last violation, it may not affect your insurance policy at all. If it is weeks between violations, however, expect to see a spike in your car insurance premium.

Do You Have a Good Personal Driving Record?

If you are a good driver with few violations, car insurance companies will reward you for your work. Some of the benefits include:

Lower deductible. A clean personal driving record reduces your deductibles.

Accident forgiveness. If you get into an accident, some car insurance companies may not count it against you.

Special discounts. Some car insurance companies also include you in discount programs. You may receive free items, such as free hotel stays or additional discounts on your premium.

Remember, you need to have a clean personal driving record to benefit from your car insurance policy. Drive safely to save money.

Sources:

"How a Driving Record Can Affect Your Car Insurance Quote" by Anonymous, InsuranceQuotes.com

Published by Ann Olson - Featured Contributor in Health & Wellness

When I'm not lifting 200 lbs. off the ground with my bare hands, I moonlight as a freelance reporter and diet consultant. What I do: I write regular diet and exercise-oriented columns for Yahoo! Sports, Yah...  View profile

3 Comments

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  • Jan Peterson5/12/2009

    good article! I just had to clean up mistakes too....2 claims that were paid by the other driver's insurance and were wrongly showing me as negligent. It pays to check your CLUE report!

  • Lisa Curcio4/16/2009

    =)

  • jcorn3/25/2009

    Important to know and hope all new drivers take this into account, before any accidents or speeding tickets add up. Good points about how insurance companies can differ about how they handle these things.

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