Clifton Car Insurance

If you own a vehicle in Clifton, Texas, you must carry auto insurance to satisfy the state's compulsory auto insurance laws. Choosing not to carry insurance does not only put you at risk of financial loss, it also puts you at risk of being convicted of a crime. When you build your Clifton car insurance policy, it is important to select the correct limits and the coverage options that will keep you protected.

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For consumers who are not experts on insurance, an introductory consumer guide can be helpful. Read this Clifton car insurance guide, and learn about auto insurance requirements while you get tips on how to build the best policy with the best insurer.

What Are the Auto Insurance Requirements in Clifton?

Virtually every state has some form of compulsory insurance or financial responsibility law. These laws vary from state to state, and knowing how much coverage is required in your state is imperative. Insurance or proof of financial responsibility is required so that individuals who own a vehicle can afford to pay for the medical expenses or the repair bills that they are responsible for. Without insurance, the courts in Clifton would be riddled with minor lawsuits with claimants seeking damages from the at-fault party.

All Texas drivers must have auto liability insurance so that they have funds to pay for damages sustained in an at-fault accident.

The liability coverage, which consists of Bodily Injury and Property Damage, will pay for the damages to others but not for your own damages when you are negligent. The coverage will pay when you are driving, when a listed driver is driving, and when a permissive user drives.

What is Bodily Injury?

Bodily Injury coverage will pay for the medical expenses of people in a third-party car or of pedestrians when you are at least 51 percent at-fault. This coverage will also pay for emergency transport, loss of wages and even pain and suffering up to the limits on the policy.

What is Property Damage?

If you were to damage multiple cars, fences, patios, telephone poles, lamp posts, mailboxes, buildings or any other property, Property Damage will pay to repair or replace these things. This form of liability coverage will only pay for property that you do not own. Limits written in the policy are on a per accident basis and not a per vehicle basis.

What limits must you carry on Texas roadways?

Required limits in Texas are the amount of liability coverage that you must hold at any given time when you are driving a registered car that you own. All insurers in Clifton must offer you no less than the state minimums in liability. If you review a quote or a policy, knowing how limits are written can be helpful. Here is a breakdown of the Texas coverage requirements:

•  Bodily Injury Liability: $30,000 per person, up to $60,000 per accident
• Property Damage Liability: $25,000 per accident

If you are reviewing your declarations page or your quote, this limit may be written as 30/60/25. The limits, in thousands, will be separated by a slash.

What happens when you drive without insurance in Clifton?

Driving without insurance is against the law. If you choose to break the law and you are caught, you could face minor or major penalties. According to the Insurance Research Council, 13.3 percent of drivers in Texas do not have insurance, with approximately 308 of these drivers living in Clifton. This number is down from 20 percent because the state is buckling down on auto insurance enforcement.

You can be caught driving without insurance when you are asked for proof of coverage when you are involved in an accident, and when you fail to pay your insurance premiums and the DMV is notified.

This means that you do not even have to be guilty of a traffic violation to be penalized. Here are some of the penalties ordered by a judge or assessed by the DMV when you do not comply with compulsory laws:

• Fines of $350 and $1000 depending on how many convictions you have
• Suspension of driver license for up to 2 years
• Suspension of vehicle registration
• SR-22 Financial Responsibility filing requirement
• Jail sentence between 180 days and 1 year if there are injuries
• Vehicle impoundment and storage fees

Obviously, you can see that driving without coverage is expensive. It can end up costing you much more than it would to simply maintain your coverage and stay legal. This is why it is crucial to build a sufficient policy that fits your budget and satisfies Texas state laws.

How to Build the Best Clifton Car Insurance Policy

Now that you understand how important car insurance is, it is time to learn how to build the best policy that provides you with financial protection and gives you peace of mind. It is very important to be prepared for the shopping experience when you are buying a financial product like insurance.

Considering only price alone can be one of the biggest mistakes you could make when you are investing in your financial security. You should figure out how your rates are determined in Clifton because every insurance company has its own rating system in place. This rating system must be filed with and approved by the Texas Department of Insurance, which is the body responsible for regulating the industry.

While the company does set rates that will help them attract a specific type of vehicle owner or audience, all companies will use many of the same rating factors to assess risk.

The more risk that you present, the more likely you are to file a claim in the eyes of the insurer.

Rating Factors That Will Affect Premiums

Factors you may not even think have any bearing on your premiums will affect the rates. Here are some of the factors that have the greatest bearing and how they may affect your premiums:

• Your age and gender: Younger drivers are more risky drivers, but young male drivers are in the riskiest rating group. This is because claims records show males and inexperienced operators get into the most accidents.
• Driving record: If you have a moving violation on your record, you can be surcharged for the traffic citation. This makes you more likely to file a claim in the next three years. If you have accidents, this can also affect your rating and make you ineligible for discounts.
•  Geographic region: Your zip code can affect premiums depending on the crime rate and accident rate in the region. Compared to larger and more populous areas in Texas, the rate of auto thefts and claims in Clifton is very low. This is why the rates in Clifton may be much lower that the rates in areas like Dallas and Waco where geographic region is concerned.
• Vehicle Type: The year, make and model of your car can affect the rates. It is not necessary about the value of your vehicle but it is about the safety record. Cars with a positive crashworthiness rating and safety features may have lower rates than other cars. If a car is often involved in accidents, the rates may be higher.
• Vehicle usage and Mileage: How you drive and how often you drive will affect rates. If you commute to work, you will pay more than a driver with runs errands for pleasure. The more you drive annually, the higher your rating bracket. This is why it is important to estimate your mileage for the year as accurately as possible.

Learn About the Average Rates in Texas

Texas has the 14th highest average auto insurance expenditures in the nation. While the costs for insurance are high overall, your personal rates do not have to be. The fact that you are in Clifton may help your rates.

You can get a general idea of how much you will pay for coverage compared to other drivers by using the department's comparison tool. Create your driver profile when you do not have all of your details, and you can get samples rates.Once you know the sample rates and you have determined which companies have the best reputation, it is time to find out how much you will actually pay.

You will need your current declarations page, your personal information, your vehicle information and dates of accidents or tickets to get the best quotes.

If you want to reduce the time it takes to comparison shop, you can use a rate comparison tool online from the comforts of your own home. Enter your information a single time, compare multiple price quotes, and select a plan that will protect you while driving. Enter your zip code in our FREE tool below to compare car insurance rates now!