There are three things that most people think of when they want to control their auto insurance premiums. First, they think about the discounts that they could qualify for; next, they think about increasing their deductibles so that they take on more of the initial financial risk after an accident; finally, they think about lowering the limits and reducing the maximum benefit their policy will pay out, thereby assuming even more financial risk after an insurable incident. But there are three additional ways that an individual can control his premiums and while they may not offer an immediate reduction in cost, over time their effect will definitely be felt.
- Avoid accidents: If you take a defensive driving class, your auto insurance company will likely reward you with a discounted premium. But when you actually apply the lessons learned in this class and avoid having an accident for several years, you will be controlling the amount of premium increases you experience because you will have fewer claims and your insurer will have little reason to aggressively price your premium.
- Avoid getting tickets: By following the traffic laws within the areas you drive in you will reduce the amount of tickets that you receive which will help your insurance company see you as a low-risk driver. As with the example above, this may not result in current discounts but it can result in future discounts for good driving and will not encourage your insurer to price your renewal premiums significantly higher because you are not presenting additional risk.
- Choose monitored parking: Not all insurance claims are a result of an auto accident. Sometimes, a vehicle can be damaged by Mother Nature, vandals, or thieves resulting in a claim. If you keep your vehicle parked in a monitored area or a secure sheltered garage, and keep it out of flood zones and away from high crime areas, you will reduce the number of claims that you have from these incidents and will help to control your long-term auto insurance premiums.
Insurance premiums are often subject to cause-and-effect reasoning. By giving little cause to your insurance company to raise your renewal premiums, the effect will be a more controlled and modest increase over the years. If you have questions about Atlanta auto insurance, stop by or give us a call at 855-464-8273.