Smart Auto Insurance Blog

We all know how dangerous drinking and driving is, but the epidemic continues and people are still dying in tragic accidents caused by drunk drivers.  According to the article “More Young Women Driving Drunk” by Steven Reinberg on BusinessWeek.com the trend is growing in young women which is very unfortunate.

Men still make up the majority of drunk drivers, but the number of drunk women on the road is growing.  A study based on data from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that women drivers involved in deadly car crashes increased over the years 1995-2007.

Weekday accidents with alcohol involved among females increased by 3.5%, and weekend alcohol related accidents increased by 2.2%.  With more women consuming alcohol in large amounts there are more women making poor decisions and causing horrific accidents.  Simply said, do not drive drunk.  Even if you do manage to get extremely lucky and avoid an accident you are at risk of expensive fines, jail time, and carrying special SR22 Insurance for high-risk drivers.  None of that is worth it, especially putting lives at risk.

There are some great tips on defensive driving to help keep you safe on the Encompass Car Insurance website.  Their Plan & Learn section on their site says that drunk drivers are the most dangerous violators on the road and half of all highway fatalities are due to drinking and driving.

They offer some tips to keep your eye out for potentially drunk drivers when you are on the road.  Some of these include unusually wide turns, weaving, swerving, sudden stops, tailgating, no headlights at night, drifting, slow response to traffic signs, or driving on the wrong side of the road.

If you happen to notice such a driver on the road it’s important to maintain a safe distance.  Allow the traffic violator to pass you, and do not try to pass them.  If the driver is coming head-on move into the nearest shoulder and use your horn and lights to try and get them to realize they are driving the wrong way.  If possible, get the driver’s license and report the situation to the police.  The quicker this person can get off the road, the safer everyone will be.

Illinois State Insurance Agency has announced the opening of their new location to serve customers in Waukegan Illinois and Lake County according to the article found on onlineprnews.com.  The office has opened in Waukegan Illinois.  This is very good news for those in need of SR22 insurance since Illinois State Insurance Agency (ISIA) specializes in high-risk auto insurance.  Those in the area can get access to an agent much quicker to receive proof of insurance quickly.

ISIA is one of the most reputable Illinois auto insurance companies.  They offer many discounts including discounts for proof of prior insurance, multiple cars, perfect driving records, and discounts for renewing.  They have also implemented a tool which allows policy holders to instantly download ID cards which is a huge benefit for high-risk drivers who often need to show proof of insurance quickly.

ISIA has been in business since 1997 and is growing consistently.  They have 4 locations in in the greater Chicago area and they are looking to open up in other states as well, including Indiana and Wisconsin.

California law requires the filing of SR22 Insurance for high risk drivers who have had their license suspended for DWI, reckless driving, or other major violations.  The website SR22Filing.com specializes in filing the SR22 Insurance form and they represent a lot of companies to get you the lowest auto insurance rate, which can be very challenging if you are a high risk driver.

SR22 Insurance simply proves that you are covered by auto insurance.  SR22 Insurance Services claim to get you covered quickly and relatively easily.  By getting the SR22, you are showing the DMV that a company agreed to write you a policy and you are covered to get your license back again.  Once you are deemed a high risk driver getting insurance can be difficult so it’s useful to use a company that specializes in such filings.  It can take many, many years to get a clean driving record once you have major violations.

Eastwood Insurance and Infinity Auto Insurance are both known for their expertise in non-standard auto insurance.  In today’s environment, these types of companies are becoming more and more important. 

Auto insurance is being dropped at an alarming rate and once you are caught driving without the proper coverage you may run into trouble finding a company to insure you.  This is where Infinity and Eastwood Insurance can help.  Infinity auto insurance ranks among the top 50 Property and Casualty Insurance companies in the US and is the 2nd largest underwriter of non-standard auto insurance through independent auto insurance agents according to their website.  Eastwood Insurance is a proven industry leader in non-standard auto insurance and offers quality sales and service for all types of auto coverage. 

If you find yourself in a situation where you are considered a high risk driver and have difficulty getting reasonable auto insurance quotes, check out these two companies.  You can get quotes directly online and comparison shop instantly.

Progressive auto insurance has a lot of valuable information on SR-22 insurance on their website.  They point out that they can help if the court happens to order to you carry this type of insurance for high-risk drivers.

You may be asked to carry the SR-22 for numerous reasons including driving without insurance, DUI, at fault accidents while driving without insurance, repeat traffic offenses, too many tickets in a short period of time, revoked license or other serious moving violations. 

Progressive will file the SR-22 insurance form with your state’s DMV for you.  Once this has been done you generally can begin to drive legally.  Since SR-22’s are state specific there are variances from one state to another.  It’s important to ensure you understand what your state requires of you.  There are also special requirements if you move to another state in the midst of needing SR-22 insurance.  Many auto insurance companies, including Progressive, can help answer your SR-22 questions and fulfill your auto insurance needs.

As of October 1, there was a new Arizona auto insurance law implemented according to an article by Adam Rolnick found on usprwire.com about Oasis Insurance.  The bill was passed the previous legislative session and it’s known as HB2224. 

October 1 and going forward judges are required to assign penalties for Arizona drivers who don’t carry auto insurance coverage.  About 87% of tickets that were issued because drivers were not carrying insurance were dismissed or the fines were lowered.  The new law says there will be no dismissal of these charges. 

The first offense will carry an approximately $720 penalty which cannot be waived.  About $970 will be the fine for second time offenders.    If you are caught a third time driving without auto insurance the fine will be up to $1200 and your license will be suspended for a year.  Not only will your license be suspended but you will be required to carry SR22 insurance documentation once you get your license back. 

Before this law was passed, Arizona residents who were caught driving without insurance would often purchase the insurance before the court date and show their proof upon the judge’s request.  The new law says this will not be possible going forward and the fines still must be paid.

Everyone knows that driving while intoxicated is extremely dangerous and against the law, but what many may not realize is that it’s very expensive as well.  According to the article “Driving Under the Influence is Expensive As Well As Dangerous” by the Kalamazoo Gazette Staff found on mlive.com, drinking and driving violations are the most expensive of all traffic violations.

According to insurance.com, DUIs can shoot auto insurance rates up by as much as 38%.  Their RateWatch Data shows that the lowest rate quoted to someone with a DUI was $2148 in 2009 across the country.  That is about $435 more than a driver who does not have a DUI. 

Not only are you putting your life at risk as well as other people on the road if you drive drunk, but you will most likely have your license suspended if you are caught and you will have to file a SR22 Insurance form, which is a certificate submitted to the Secretary of State proving that you have liability insurance.

SR-22 auto insurance policies show the DMV proof of insurance according to an article on officialwire.com by Joel McLaughlin.  Auto insurance companies fill out a SR-22 insurance form for you and then they forward it to the DMV when your license has been taken away for various reasons including a DUI or getting in an accident with no auto insurance.

Once the DMV gets the SR-22 insurance form they then have the proof that you are carrying minimum liability auto insurance and they will return your license to you.  The usual standard for carrying SR-22 insurance is 3 years.  This can vary depending on which state the violation occurs in and how severe the offense was.  If your auto insurance company cancels your insurance policy for any reason before the date of termination they will notify you.

Not all auto insurance companies offer SR-22 insurance so you may need to use a different carrier than you previously used.  You also may end up contacting numerous different companies to find a carrier right for you.

A helpful article on Officialwire.com by Joel McLaughlin gives information on SR22 Auto Insurance. 

SR22 insurance is a form that your auto insurance carrier fills out for you and sends to the DMV office when your license has been revoked.  Once the DMV office receives the proof that you do have insurance and that you are covered for minimum liability, they return your license to you. 

The standard requirement for having SR22 auto insurance is 3 years but this can differ from state to state and the offense severity.  If your carrier cancels your insurance before the date of termination, the carrier is required to submit a SR26 to advise the state that you are not covered by auto insurance any longer.  Not all auto insurance companies offer the SR22 option, so you will need to do some research as to which carrier will be able to assist you.