When it comes to knowledge about car insurance, you may think you know the basics, but do you know enough? A 2017 survey of 1,165 auto insurance consumers by insurance search engine The Zebra revealed that 99 percent failed to identify 10 basic insurance coverage types and terms.
Though the survey only reflects a small fraction of the entire driving population, it’s still concerning to know how misinformed vehicle owners are. Worse, some of what they do know about auto insurance are based on myths and hearsay.
Here, we’ll give you examples of common car insurance myths and the truth behind them.
Fact: We’re not sure where this myth came from, but it’s surprising how many people believe this. In one survey by the online insurance comparison site insuranceQuotes.com, 44 percent believe red cars have more expensive insurance coverage.
The truth is, many factors affect the cost of your car insurance. These factors include:
Other factors such as the cost of repairing your vehicle and how popular your car is with thieves may also affect your insurance rate. What’s not a factor is the specific color of your car.
Fact: You know your credit score is important when you’re obtaining new credit, but some don’t think the same when it comes to getting car insurance. The truth is in most states, car insurance companies view your credit scores to predict the odds that you’ll file a claim.
If you have a good credit history, you have a better chance of getting an insurance policy for the right price. However, people with bad credit scores or those called high-risk drivers may pay a higher premium to insure their vehicles.
Fact: Some people think that just because they’re not driving when their car is involved in a collision, they’re not in charge of the insurance.
In most states, insurance follows the car, not the driver. This means that regardless of who’s driving your vehicle at the event of a collision or any other accident, it’s your car insurance company that will cover the cost of damages.
Fact: Some drivers hesitate to file a claim with their insurance company when they get into an accident because they fear that their rates will automatically rise. The catch in this is that when you get involved in an accident with another driver, they may file for damage or injury claims. If they do, your insurance company will still know about the accident.
Additionally, your car insurance rates will increase only if you’re the at-fault driver, you live in a no-fault state, or the insurance company deems you more likely to get into another accident.
While some of these myths have convincing origins or reasons behind them, they’re still not entirely true and believing so could keep you from making the most out of your auto insurance policy.
Whether you need an auto, SR-22, or motorcycle insurance in Chicago, let Oxford Auto Insurance protect your car for you. With different payment plans and multiple companies, we provide some of the most comprehensive and low-cost insurance packages in the state of Illinois.
Visit Oxford Auto Insurance today to learn more.
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