Car Insurance Articles

What is it about Florida that makes you want to drive around in a chic convertible with the top down, enjoying the wind blowing through your hair, watching the palm trees whip by and smelling the tangy scent of ocean in the air? Perhaps it is because Florida offers many opportunities to tempt the senses. It is also a place the offers drivers intense heat during many parts of the year and sudden summer storms that cause numerous accidents and breakdowns. Having good auto insurance in the state of Florida is a must, and we can help you find an auto insurance carrier that will give you the coverage you need so you can feel good about driving in any part of Florida.

Florida Auto Insurance Laws

Every state requires drivers to have a minimum amount of auto insurance coverage. Do you know what types of insurance are required in the state of Florida? Currently, the state of Florida requires that you have $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP), and $10,000 of Property Damage Liability (PDL) coverage if you have a Florida driver’s license.

If you don’t have Florida auto insurance, your driver’s license, along with your vehicle tag and registration can be suspended for up to three years, or until you can provide the state of Florida with proof of Florida auto insurance coverage. In addition, there are fees associated with these offenses, including reinstatement fees and other fines.

If you already have insurance in another state, you are required by law to have state specific Florida auto insurance. You must be insured by a Florida auto insurance carrier, or a carrier that does business in Florida. One of the many advantages of using our online services to find good rates on Florida auto insurance is that we find state specific auto insurance companies that will give you rates based on where you live in Florida.

When you have auto insurance in the state of Florida, your driving record is one of the things used to determine your auto insurance rate. Your driving record includes information about violations, suspensions and restrictions that you may have on your license. It is a good idea to obtain a copy of your Florida driving record before shopping for auto insurance to make sure that the information contained in there is correct.

When Involved in an Auto Accident in Florida

While auto accidents are not inevitable, the odds are good that at some point in your life, you will be involved in an accident. Do you know what type of information you need to collect in order to make an auto insurance claim go smoothly? Knowing ahead of time is a good idea, because we tend to get a bit rattled when faced with an accident of any kind, from wild to mild.

• You should always exchange basic information with the other driver. This includes name, address, phone number and insurance information.
• Don’t admit fault, or accuse the other driver of fault.
• Make sure that someone calls the police to come to the scene of the accident.
• Be cooperative with the police and ask for a copy of the accident report.
• If the other driver refuses to give you their auto insurance information, you will be able to obtain that information through the police report or through the state of Florida DMV.
• A claims adjuster is going to call you, so please explain the accident as calmly as possible, and answer the questions they ask as clearly as possible.
• If you find out that the other driver in the accident is uninsured, do not confront them. Let your auto insurance company do that. They have a number of excellent resources at their disposal to get the money for the accident from the uninsured party.

Find Cheap Florida Auto Insurance Rate Quotes Online

Finding cheap Florida auto insurance rate quotes online is easy to do. Make sure that before you sign on the dotted line from any auto insurance carrier, talk to an agent to make sure that they have checked every possible discount you might qualify for. There are so many discounts for auto insurance customers, and you probably qualify for one or two of them. Any discount you can get is that much less money you have to pay in premiums.

Sometimes, you can also get a good rate if you stay with an auto insurance carrier for three or even five years. While that may seem like a contradiction in terms as to what we are saying here, if you find a company that will reward you for staying with them, it might be a good idea to do it. However, to protect yourself while staying with one company, there is nothing to stop you from doing some comparison shopping on the side in case that better rate is out there! No one says you have to be monogamous with your auto insurance company. You are free to leave them if you find a better deal somewhere else.

Going online to compare auto insurance rates is simple, painless and easy to do. It doesn’t take tons of your time, either. Why shouldn’t you do it? Our site will make sure that your auto insurance policy shopping experience enjoyable. It doesn’t have to be like a visit to the dentist’s office, or spending six hours in line at the DMV. It will be so easy to do that you will be nicely surprised. We will help you through very step of the process, explaining things along the way so you know exactly what everything means before you make a decision.

If you move to Florida, or change auto insurance companies, it is important not to let your auto insurance policy lapse for any reason. Never cancel your old auto insurance before signing the agreement for your new auto insurance policy. People who let their auto insurance rates lapse can find themselves in the unhappy situation of having higher auto insurance premiums until they have re-established themselves as good customers.

If you are still looking for more ways to get discounts on your auto insurance rates, install anti-theft devices in your vehicle. Many insurance carriers give discounts for people who make it easier to recover their vehicles if stolen and deter car thieves from stealing them in the first place.

If you are looking for an easy way to get another possible discount, find ways to drive your car less often. Discounts are given for people who put a lower mileage amount on their vehicle. Some ways to do this include carpooling, taking public transportation, or walking if your destination is within walking distance.

Consider buying a car that is considered to be “sensible.” This may sound like a no-brainer, but sports cars, high performance vehicles and SUVs cost more to insure. It only makes sense to purchase a car that will cost you less to insure if you are looking for ways to lower those premiums. So forgo that hot little sports number for something that will get better gas mileage and be easy to insure by any auto insurance carrier out there.

Also, if you have a poor credit rating, do everything you can to improve it before your next auto insurance renewal. A bad credit score is one of the biggest reasons that people have higher auto insurance premiums. If you improve your score, you might find that you get to pay a lot less for your next year’s premiums.