Compare auto insurance theft data when you review car insurance.

Response : Sarah, it makes complete sense in being informed and looking at datas if this interest you since data is the basis of insurance ratings. General auto insurance companies are constantly gathering data and based on the data which gives them information on the prevaling trends, risk and factors affecting their claims they would base their insurance rates.

Recently Allstate on of the lead insurance company analyzed its data for Texas for the car thefts – the more costly or new the vehicle is the more likely it is to be stolen and this is the very reason you should insure your new vehicle on a comphrensive basis.

During the last year the top vehicles which were stolen were mainly trucks :
Rank Vehicle
1 Dodge Ram Pickup (2004)
2 Ford F150 (1997)
3 Honda Civic (2000)
4 Honda Accord (1994)
5 Chevrolet Extended Cab 4X2 Pickup (1997)
6 Ford F250 Pickup (2004)
7 Chevrolet Conventional Cab 4×2 Pickup (1988)
8 Ford F350 Pickup (2006)
9 Ford Taurus (1997)
10 Ford Explorer (2002)

The cities which had the maximum auto thefts were
City % Change from 2008 to 2009
Austin +12.9%
Dallas-Fort Worth -2.2%
El Paso -20.2%
Houston +15.6%
Rio Grande Valley +6.2%
San Antonio -21.9%
Tyler-Longview +9.3%
Waco-Temple-Killeen -10.0%

Thus in Houton, Austin ad Tyler Longview the thefts have in El Paso and San Antonio the thefts have decreased or dropped and become more safe. If you ar living in Houston and driving a Honda Civic the chances are that your auto insurance premium will increase and thus it would be worth-while to compare auto insurance quotes and review car insurance if you want low auto insurance rates.
Thanks.
Kamlesh

Compare auto insurance quotes here for low auto insurance and stay informed.

Ford auto concerns and article and tips for NHSTA a must for every driver.

” Federal auto safety regulators have launched an investigation into whether floor mats in 2010 Ford Motor Co.’s Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans can entrap the gas pedal, causing unintended acceleration.

The investigation follows complaints of a similar nature that sparked the recall of millions of Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles in recent months.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has warned drivers of the Fusion and its Milan sibling not to place any unsecured floor mats, whether made by Ford or an after-market retailer, on top of the standard, carpeted floor mat in the driver’s side foot well. Drivers should also make sure that their floor mats are secured to the floor and not stacked, the safety agency said.

Ford Motor Co. has built about 249,000 Fusion and Milan sedans. The Fusion is rival to the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord and is one of the nation’s best selling mid-sized sedans.
NHTSA said it has “verified three consumer complaints” about the problem. These incidents resulted when drivers laid Ford’s optional rubber all-weather floor mat on top of the carpeted floor mat in the driver’s side foot well. If the rubber mat slips forward it can trap the gas pedal in a down position.

“This is most likely to occur after the driver presses the accelerator pedal substantially such as when merging or passing in traffic,” the agency said in a statement.
NHTSA said it has received no complaints involving crashes, injuries or fatalities.
Ford said it was cooperating with the federal safety agency. A company spokesman said the automaker was not aware of any complaints from drivers who installed their floor mats according to Ford’s instructions.

“We do not recommend stacking floor mats in any vehicle,” said the spokesman, Said Deep.

Ford places a warning on top of its rubber all-weather floor mats that says, “Do not place on top of existing floor mats,” he said.
Additionally, driver’s side floor mats manufactured by the company have an attachment to secure them in place to prevent them from sliding, Deep said.
NHTSA said drivers should pay more attention to the position of their floor mats, including how they are secured or whether they are stacked, regardless of the make or model of their vehicle.
The agency said that drivers who find themselves in an unintended acceleration incident should take the following steps:
–Brake firmly and steadily — do not pump the brake pedal.
–Shift the transmission into neutral. It is a good idea to make sure you know how to shift the transmission into neutral in advance.)
–Steer to a safe location.
–Shut the engine off.

You must take these safety measures, pass it on to your friends, family and relatives.

Compare auto insurance quotes or review car insurance if invloved in auto accident.

Response : Auto accidents are unfortunate events and this is the main reason why one goes for an auto insurance policy. It is a fact that in case you are involved in an auto accident and the accident falls within the perview of the insurance company they would settle your claim and reimburse you. In cases where someone is hurt or a fatal accident the financial loss can be much higher for the insurance company.

Insurance companies have their own underwriting guidelines which they follow, however the reality is that if you are involved in an auto accident the insurance premium would increase in the subsequent year on account of the claim. The quantum of increase in the auto insurance premium is not directly proportionate to the claim paid, however there is an increase in the premium.

Now as per the recent news in New York and Florida the number of staged claims are on the rise and those staging the claims involve incoent drivers in tha accidents.

Suspicious insurance claims from staged accidents are on the rise— and nowhere more than in New York and Florida, two states with no-fault statutes.

Overall, the number of questionable claims from staged accidents increased by 46.3 percent from 2007 to 2009, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)

Additionally, the ratio of staged accident claims to overall bodily injury (BI) and personal injury protection (PIP) claims has increased over this period while the total number of BI and PIP claims has declined.

You will be suprised to know that Florida and New York are ranked first and second, respectively, in the top 10 loss states and five of the top 10 loss cities.

The top five states that generated the most staged accident questionable claims are: (1) Florida, 3,006; (2) New York, 1,680; (3) California, 1,619; (4) Texas, 792; and (5) Illinois, 433.

The five cities that generated the most staged accident questionable claims are: (1) New York City, 1,304; (2) Tampa, 562; (3) Miami, 511; (4) Orlando, 422; and (5) Houston, 376.

Staged accidents target innocent drivers with schemes aimed at defrauding the insurance company. This would mean that you need to be more aware on the road when you are driving. Avoid tailgating at all cost and also note down all the details of the oppoiste driver and details of the claim in case you get involved in an auto insurance accident. Unfortunately, there is nothing which can be given to distingush between a genuine claim and a fraud and hence you need to be careful.

It would be best to compare auto insurance quotes online here or at any other web-site of your choice review car insurance coverage to get low auto insurance rates.

Thanks.
Kamlesh

“Toyota car recall was because of the fatal tragedy of three family members. The relatives of a California state trooper and three family members whose fatal car wreck helped spark Toyota’s wide-ranging safety recall have sued the automaker for defects they say caused the vehicle to speed out of control and crash.

Saylor was driving his wife, their 13-year-old daughter, and his brother-in-law on a family outing when their car “began to accelerate on its own” and sped out of control despite Saylor’s attempts “to apply the brakes and otherwise do everything possible to stop” the car, the lawsuit says.

The car reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour before it struck another vehicle, plowed through a fence, hit a berm and flew through the air, then rolled several times into a field and burst into flames.

The family’s final moments before impact were captured in the recording of a frantic 911-emergency cell phone call placed by Saylor’s brother-in-law, Christopher Lastrella, in which he is heard telling the dispatcher, “Our accelerator is stuck … We’re in trouble … there is no brakes.”

Others in the car are heard saying, “hold on” and “pray” as the call ended, the lawsuit said.

A law suit has been commenced. Toyota officials personally apologized and did send condolences to the family. It was first concluded that this incident was because of the fact that the brake and the accelerator got struck. However, similar incidents of the vehicles of Toyota accelerating have been brought to light. This has resulted on the mass recall of the vehicles and also the 50 crash incidents which were caused by failure of the car mechanism and defect in the vehicle.

Toyota has recalled more than 5 million vehicles in the United States for slipping floor mats. Another 2.2 million U.S. recall notices were issued for sticking accelerator pedals.

The U.S. Transportation Department has said that complaints of unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles are linked with more than 50 U.S. crash deaths under investigation over the past decade.

It always pays to be aware, review car insurance and stay informed about the latest happenings in the auto insurance world. Compare auto insurance quote 411 gives you the latest information and a chance to look up your auto insurance rates. Review car insurance and get low auto insurance rates.
Kamlesh

Bad credit means no low auto insurance rates :

Response : Bad Credit Can Mean Higher Insurance Premium and you should know this before you compare home owner or automobile insurances.

Consumers who have suffered financial setbacks because of the economy are seeing an increase in the homeowner and auto insurance premiums.

Remember that you cannot escape mistakes often found in credit reports also can lead to rate hikes. Even Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said that he recently faced a 10 percent increase in his Safeco auto insurance rate because of an error on the insurer’s part.

He said his rate was corrected when he questioned the charge, based on his credit history.

Secondly, you should also avoid not establishing a credit history and paying everything in cash “The bottom line was, when we got down to it, they rate a credit risk because the agent had checked thatinstead of paying in instalments the full payment is done. As per Mike, his credit history is very good because I have a thin credit file, very little credit.”

The debate is attracting more attention as a bad economy affects consumer credit and has consumers scrutinizing their expenses.

Insurers defend their use of credit reports to develop insurance scores, which dates to the mid-1990s.

They cite a 2007 Federal Trade Commission study that found credit-based insurance scores do predict risk for automobile policies. Studies sponsored by insurance companies, and the state of Texas, have reached similar conclusions.

Insurance companies point out that customers with good credit are rewarded with lower premiums. They view rates partly based on credit as an equitable way to set premiums.
“If you’re conservative with your finances, you manage your finances and credit well, typically, you’re also going to be an individual who is less likely to be involved in an accident,” said Robert Hartwig, who heads the industry’s nonprofit Insurance Information Institute.

“You’re going to be someone who is more likely to obey speed limits. You’re going to be someone who is less likely to drive impaired. You’re going to be less likely to be someone who fails to perform maintenance on your car.

“It’s an objective measure of financial responsibility. What it’s showing is that people who are financially responsible tend to be responsible in other dimensions of their life. This is not anything that should be a revelation,” Hartwig said.

Employers run credit checks on applicants as one way to determine whether they are responsible, Hartwig said.

“The reality is that your credit standing is something that impacts your life in many ways beyond getting a credit card or a loan,” he said.

The bottom line is if you want to have low auto insurance rates and want to save $$ on auto insurance than you must compare auto insurance quotes or review car insurance.

Save $ Compare auto insurance
Response : You will definetly save $$ once you learn the why, how and when to compare auto insurance quotes. However,here is some great news for you. In case you were driving one of the Toyota which has been recalled than you can appeal against the surcharge. This is because the fault lies in the vehicle and you were not at fault.

The Massachusetts Division of Insurance will expand the appeal process for some drivers of Toyota vehicles who received an at-fault determination from their insurance company after an accident, and thus received a surcharge. The consumer alert issued by the insurance department said the decision was made in light of the recent recall of certain Toyota models due to unintended acceleration. At-fault appeals will be allowed if an owner of a Toyota received a recall notice and was involved in an accident, or if an owner has already appealed his or her at-fault determination and lost. A request for a re-hearing or initial appeal must be filed within 60 days from the notice of the recall or the date of the consumer alert, issued Jan. 29.

You will have to prove the vehicle involved in the accident is one of the models recalled by Toyota and that the accident was related to acceleration problems in the recall notice, the insurance department said. A $50 fee is required if an appeal has not been previously filed.

This is because Toyota said Jan. 21 it was recalling about 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on specific models. Several days later, Toyota suspended the sales of eight models. The Massachusetts DOI said the recall also covers several Lexus models and the Pontiac Vibe.

The top five writers of private passenger auto insurance in Massachusetts last year, according to BestLink, which provides online access to A.M. Best’s Global Insurance & Banking Database, were: Commerce Group, with a 31% market share; Safety Group, with 11.1%; Arbella Insurance Group, with 9.3%; Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., with 8.5%; and MetLife Auto & Home Group, with 6.5%.

Thus my advice to you or any of your friends who drives a Toyota and was surcharged if in an accident last year in a model that has been recalled, compare auto insurance quotes afterwards., first file your appeal and reduce your surcharge on the auto insurance.

Happy motoring

Latest News
The Californians for Fair Auto Insurance rates, which is a collation of Insurance Rates, a coalition of consumer advocates, businesses, taxpayer advocates and insurers, has issued a statement in response to the opposition of the Continuous coverage auto discount act . This is a new act which is going to the ballots in June 2010.
As per the statement given by Kathy Fairbanks, a representative of the Fair Auto Insurance rates : Continuous Coverage Auto insurance discount act” will in fact encourage competition and choice in the auto insurance market. It is in favor of 80% of the drivers, who are buying continuous auto insurance coverage as mandated by the law. This law will reward these auto insurance drivers who have maintained their insurance. They would now be able to go online or to any agent and shop for lower auto insurance prices because they can get higher auto insurance discounts for having continuous auto insurance, once this is allowed and implemented.
“California’s regulatory and rate-setting environment is completely different from Nevada’s or any other state’s. In fact, current California law mandates that your driving safety record, miles driven annually and years of driving experience be the top three factors in determining auto insurance premiums. Nevada has no such requirements.
“Comparing California to Nevada is like comparing apples to oranges.
“The Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act will mean more competitive auto insurance rates, more choice for consumers and lower auto insurance premiums. That’s why it’s endorsed by groups like Consumers First, Consumers Coalition of California, Citizens Against Regulatory Excess, California Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Action Committee, League of United Latin American Citizens, California Taxpayer Protection Committee and many more.
With the recession and especially since California’s economy has been affected with a slower recovery, any options to compare auto insurance quotes, online and to be able to get low car insurance rates would be a welcome move.

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Distracted driving and low auto insurance quotes :
Response : It is nice to know that you compare auto insurance quotes online and are able to obtain low auto insurance quotes. If you try here at compareautoinsurancequote411.com you will be able to get low auto insurance quotes. Yes, you are right about the new driving regulations in USA which will come into effect from Jan 1 2010. You should appreciate that the Insurance companies and the insurance institiute encourage and support the regulations since this will help in minimizing the claims.

Here are the latest news on distracted driving from the Insurance Institutute ” Illinois, Kansas, New Hampshire and Oregon will bring in the new year with new state laws aimed at cracking down on distracted driving, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI).

Of the four states with stronger laws regarding cell phone use and texting that take effect Jan. 1, 2010, Oregon goes the farthest by banning the use of hand held devices and texting for all drivers. The new law in Oregon also prohibits people under age 18 from using any type of cell phone while driving.

Illinois is placing new restrictions on hand held devices and bans their use in construction and school zones.

Kansas is implementing a ban on all cell phone use and texting for young drivers who have learner’s permits and intermediate licenses.

New Hampshire is banning texting for all drivers.

“These four states are joining a growing number states and localities that are implementing or strengthening restrictions on cell phone use and texting,” said Robert Passmore, senior director of personal lines for PCI. “In 2009, 17 states implemented or strengthened cell phone and texting laws.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver, and more than half a million were injured. Research also shows that the worst offenders are the youngest and least experienced drivers: men and women under 20 years of age.

As per the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there are statewide bans on driving while talking on a hand-held cell phone seven states (California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Utah, and Washington) and the District of Columbia.

The use of all cell phones by novice drivers is restricted in 21 states and the District of Columbia.

Text messaging is banned for all drivers in 19 states and the District of Columbia. In addition, novice drivers are banned from texting in nine states (Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, and West Virginia)

You will agree with me that these regulations will go a long way in reducing auto accidents and hence would give you low auto insurance rates.
Happy 2010.
Kamlesh

Response : Ken, unfortunately the truth is that once you have an auto accident under your poolicy your auto insurance rate is going to increase and your auto insurance premium will increase. The weather and road conditions do play an important part in car accidents, however, the insurance company would fiannly attribute the auto accident to your driving skills.

If you want to have low auto insurance rate than you will have to develop great driving skills as per the requirement of the area in which you normally reside or leave. The insurance companies have conducted a number of studies which prove that your driving skills paly an important part in giving you a low auto insurance rate. if you a good driver, not aggressive, you follow the rules and take the precautions required as per the road or weather conditions, you will get a low auto insurance premium. Once you develop this skills like how to drive in a storm, on icy roads or in harsh winter condtions.

Fortunately now the state departments, media and weather departments offer a lot of help and imporvement in road conditions which has decreased the auto insurance fatality. As per the latest news for example from Alabama Gov. Bob Riley is crediting state efforts for driving down the number of highway deaths in Alabama.
Officials are anticipating a 35 percent decrease since 2006 in the number of state trooper-investigated highway deaths in the state.Riley says the decline represents about 300 people.

Beginning in 2006, several state agencies have focused on areas where there were a large number of fatal crashes. The result was a campaign that included a series of safety blitzes and road improvements.Alabama troopers have investigated 518 highway fatalities this year. Riley said that’s down from about 800 in 2006.

Hence you need not worry about this. Low auto insurance rates can be obtained once you drive safely, pay attention to the news on weather conditions and the state goverment plays its role in improving the raod conditions. You can also compare auto insurance rates for low auto insurance at this blog compareautoinsurancequote411.com for free. Read my other articles on this blog for a low car insurance rate.

Happy Motoring.
Kamlesh

Response : Just recently as on the 17th December 2009, The House passed a portion of a bill package focused which according to the insurance industry will have disastrous consequences on auto insurance costs and the stability of the insurance market, including a prohibition on credit-based insurance scoring.

Now let me explain this to you in more details. As per the bill, the insurance companies will not be permitted to have a credit based rating. This would be an advantage for the customer since now they can go for online auto insurance quotes without anything to worry about and get multiple quotes since their credit score is not at all affected. Now to be very honest it is a myth that your credit score is affected and please see my post on credit rating and online auto insurance.

The insurance companies are not happy with this since now they will not be able to use the credit based rating system. As per the insurance companies the credit based rating helped them in giving low auto insurance to the clients. Credit-based insurance scoring has been shown to benefit consumers because it allows them to secure lower insurance costs. In Michigan, credit-based insurance scoring is used only to provide discounts for insurance customers. Credit-based insurance scores are not used in Michigan to apply a surcharge or to determine whether a person can be insured by the company. And despite the economy, credit scores are staying stable.

Auto and homeowner insurers doing business in Michigan have formed a coalition, Protecting Michigan’s Future, to defeat this misguided, anti-consumer legislation; promote comprehensive, cost-saving reform solutions; provide information to policymakers for making sound public policy decisions; and set the record straight on insurance practices.

My own recommondation to you is to go for online auto insurance quotes, you will get low car insurance rates for sure and find what suits you best with the online quotes without having to worry about any privacy information since this is free and the insurance companies should abide to the privacy acts.