Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Higher Auto Insurance For Those With Suspended Licenses
For some odd reason, most California insurance companies treat driving without a license as a less serious offense than driving with a suspended license. According to OnlineAutoInsurance.com the insurance rates are generally higher for those whose licenses are suspended than for people who are caught driving and convicted because they aren’t licensed.
Those convicted of driving without a license still feel the crunch when it comes to buying auto insurance, but not as much as drivers with suspended licenses. The insurance website conducted a study recently by trying to purchase insurance from online comparison sites.
They applied for coverage as a single driver with a clean record and then compared the quotes to a driver applying for insurance who had one conviction of driving with no license as well as a driver who had one conviction of driving a vehicle with a suspended license. They received quotes from 11 major insurance providers. The comparison was used for a 30-year-old driver of a 2010 Toyota Corolla LE who is male and married.
The results of the survey are as follows: Drivers who were convicted of driving with no license faced premiums that were up to 37 per cent higher than a driver with a clean record with the average being 23 per cent higher. However, three of the insurers offered coverage at the same cost.
The person who was convicted of driving an auto with a suspended license was punished by premium increases from 28 to 76 per cent with the average being 56 per cent. All 11 of the insurance companies charged higher premiums for the driver who was convicted of driving with a suspended license.
According to an article by the San Francisco Chronicle, statistics show that drivers with who aren’t licensed and those who are driving under suspension are generally considered to be a higher safety risk. Also, the California Legislature states that over 20 per cent of motorists who are involved in fatal traffic accidents don’t have driver’s licenses.
The Legislature added that drivers with suspended licenses are four times more likely to be involved in fatal accidents than drivers who are licensed.
