Your auto insurance premiums are calculated by a number of different factors relating to your insurance risk. Each one of these factors can individually or collectively determine the premium that you are charged. If you are aware of these factors, you can sometimes do something about changing things so you can benefit from lower premiums.
1. Verifiable Driver Insurance History
One of the first things that an insurance company will look at is your insurance history. How long you have had insurance for? What has your claims record been? Is the car insured under your name? Sometimes, people say that they have been an insured driver for years but the insurance has been under their parents’ or spouse’s name. This does not provide a verifiable insurance history so insurance companies may be weary about providing you with insurance coverage. If you have had several claims in a short space of time, you will be paying a higher premium than someone who has a claim-free record.
2. Age of the Driver
Many insurance companies will not insure drivers under the age of 21 years because they are a much higher risk group. Having just learned to drive, younger drivers generally driver faster, are less aware of other vehicles on the road, and often do not judge distances very well. They may also be very nervous drivers that cause accidents because they drive too slowly or hesitate when pulling out into traffic. The optimal age for getting the best insurance premiums is 35 years of age.
3. Gender of Driver
While there are many jokes about bad female drivers, the road statistics say otherwise. Men are far higher-risk drivers and involved in accidents far more frequently than women. Often, they are also involved in far more serious accidents because they usually are travelling at high speeds. Female drivers can benefit from discounted premiums, and men will only receive lower premiums if they have a good driving track record.
4. Overnight Storage of Vehicle
This factor relates mostly to the theft-risk factor. It varies between different countries and residential areas. In general, more urban areas have a higher risk than rural areas. Insurance companies prefer that a vehicle is parked off the street, behind a locked gate or in a locked garage. Coastal areas also carry higher insurance premiums because of the humidity and salt in the air that causes corrosion to the working parts of a car. A vehicle that is stored in a garage as opposed to being parked outside will require less maintenance and therefore benefit from lower insurance premiums.
5. Mileage and Use of Vehicle If you are a housewife or work from home, you are unlikely to use much mileage and will therefore benefit from lower insurance premiums. If you commute to work every day, your mileage and road usage increases your risk profile. Your premiums will therefore be moderately higher. If you are a sales rep or use your car for work, it is classified as commercial use and will be the most expensive premium because you are a frequent road user.
6. Make and Model of Car
Next to driver history, this is possibly the biggest factor that will affect your insurance premium. There are two aspects of risk that are affected by the make and model. First, the theft risk. If it is a BMW that is thought of as a highly desirable vehicle, it will therefore be considered a high theft risk. The second risk is accident risk. Is it a vehicle capable of high speeds which would put it at a high risk level?
7. Power to Weight Ratio
Some vehicles have powerful engines yet are not viewed as very high risk. This is because they have a low power-to-weight ratio. A sports car or Mini Cooper is an example of a high power-to-weight ratio vehicle that has fast acceleration. This is therefore viewed as a much higher risk.
8. Cost of Replacement Parts
Some cars are very expensive to maintain, especially if they are not manufactured in your home country. The cost of replacement parts is a big factor in determining your insurance premiums. If parts have to be imported in the event of a claim, this will increase your insurance premiums.
9. Actual Value of Vehicle and Age of Vehicle
A luxury vehicle will naturally carry a more expensive premium than a standard vehicle. However, a vintage or classic vehicle may have a high value but because it is used less frequently, it will have a much lower insurance premium.
10. Vehicle Security Systems
Most modern vehicles have factory-fitted security systems. Some use immobilizers and alarms systems as standard features. If it is a desirable and high-theft risk vehicle then insurance companies may insist on having additional security systems such as vehicle tracking installed in the vehicle.
11. Credit History of Insured Person
This is not always an important factor but it can affect your insurance premiums. If you have a long and detailed poor credit history, you are generally considered to be more of a risk and will have to pay higher premiums.
Real Insurance is a part of the Hollard Group of companies. The Hollard Group has offices in the United States, the UK, South Africa, Australia and throughout South East Asia and provides a wide range of insurance products and services to more than 6 million policyholders worldwide. For more information about Real Insurance, visit us online today!