The world has been changing faster than we care to realize. The Model T first rolled out on to our roads in 1908, only just over one-hundred years ago. In those days, the noise really did frighten the horses. You could hear them coming from a considerable distance. Today, whispering death can roll up behind you without you noticing anything. The modern engine is a miracle of silence. Ironically, we have almost arrived at the level of noiseless travel where the old Rolls Royce promise would come true. In the good old days, the ads said the loudest thing you would hear was the clock ticking. Today, we have digital clocks and no ticks to disturb the peace. Indeed, wherever you look, there’s evidence of advancing technology. It can be in the design of the suspension and braking systems to produce safer handling. Or it can be in the way the body crumples in a collision to absorb the impact and reduce the injuries to those inside.

It would be nice to think the investment of all this intelligence into the design of our vehicles could produce cheap auto insurance rates. Well, in one sense, this is already happening. The insurers work with the government in agreeing the standards for crash-testing the current range of makes and models. Those which do the best are awarded lower rates. There’s a safety premium if you follow the government recommendations on the safest vehicles. There’s just one problem. This new technology is not yet really cheap. Some of the safest vehicles are actually more expensive to insure because of the cost of maintenance and repairs. It’s a wonderful idea to absorb the force of an impact by having body panels crumple. Except, of course, after even a relatively minor collision, it can require the replacement of more bodywork at higher prices than the old-fashioned piece of metal. Of course the cost will gradually fall as the size of the market increases and mass manufacturing reduces the cost of spares. But, until then, you may not see the benefit of cheaper rates.

Another aspect of all this new technology is the ability for the vehicle to drive itself. Many vehicles come with radar systems that sound a warning if we get too close to an object when reversing. The Japanese have gone one step further with the Lexus LS 460L that will take all the pain out of parallel parking. The wholly automated system will park it for you and never hit any other vehicle in the process. Manufacturers are looking to apply technology to freeway driving. All it would take is a wire running down the center of each lane and you could have hands-free journeys. Although it would require us to trust the technology not to crash us into any of the other vehicles around us, it could significantly reduce the risk of accidents on long journeys.

In the face of such advances, there will be cheap car insurance tomorrow as we are slowly replaced as the drivers and computers take over. Until tomorrow comes, focus on buying the safest makes and models you can afford. The auto insurance quotes will come in lower and keep you happy.

Car owners are often not aware about that their insurance rates are affected by a factor that seems to have little to do with auto insurance at all. This is credit rating. Actually, it is used by almost all insurance companies to calculate rates. And while this may seem as lacking any logic from the customer’s point of view the insurance companies have a perfect explanation to using your credit score when determining your rates. Moreover, they aren’t breaking the law in any way by using your credit information without your consent and knowledge. Let’s learn how is that possible and what consequences your credit score may have with respect to insurance.

Insurance companies have the right to access your personal information including the insurance record until they agree to not disclose this information to any third parties. And you will have to start thinking as an insurer in order to grasp the importance of credit score from this perspective.

The most important thing for insurers is assessing the risk of covering each client that opts for insurance. If the risk is low then they can offer lower rates as to reward the low probability of a claim from such a client. If the risk is high then they will charge higher rates as to cope with the costs involved with a higher probability of a claim. And the insurers will use any piece of information that will help them evaluate their risks no matter how strange it may sound for consumers. Statistically people with lower credit scores file more insurance claims whereas customers with higher scores file less claims than the average. So it’s logic that the insurance companies will adjust their rates according to this observation and use customers’ credit scores. But if a client is nothappy with how your score may affect your rates – what then?

There are two ways here. The first is to improve your credit rating by reviewing your report and eliminating any unused credit lines and debts if possible. It is more time-consuming time but the effect will be more profound as there are more benefits to a good credit score than just affordable auto insurance. The second option is finding a company that doesn’t use credit scores when calculating their rates. Though the majority of insurers do, there are still plenty of company that don’t, so you would want to stick to those providers.

There are some additianal coverage options that you may find interesting when looking for the right auto insurance plan. Insurance is all about minimizing the financial impact of a particular peril and for many circumstances that may damage your car there are special coverage option available. Of course, by adding additional coverage options to your policy the price of it rises. However, for some situations it really pays to get an expensive policy in the first place rather than having to pay for the damage done out of own pocket simply you skipped that coverage type. So what are the most interesting additional coverage types one should look into?

Coverage for an uninsured or underinsured motorist

This may seem exotic to some drivers but it sure is useful for those who live in an area with many vehicles on the roads. It is estimated that there are thousands and even hundreds of thousands motorist driving without any at any given moment in our country. Either their term has expired and they didn’t manage to renew the policy or have chosen to drive without coverage at all, the outcome of an accident with such a driver will be the same – lack of other party’s insurance to cover your damage. Uninsured motorist coverage acts as the other party’s insurance company and pays for the damage inflicted to your car in case the other driver was at fault. It is most effective in cases of hit-and-run accidents, which unfortunately got more often these days.

A comprehensive type of coverage

Comprehensive coverage is not to mix up with collision since they are very complimentary in terms of financial protection. The second one pays in cases of collision with other vehicles or objects, while comprehensive coverage is much more diverse. It covers damage caused by circumstances other than collision including fire, theft, vandalism, earthquake wind, rain, explosions and many others. And while all these perils can be a very common cause for car damage it is a sound idea to get comprehensive coverage. Remember you should better take your time and read the contents of the policy in order to understand what’s included and what’s not. Otherwise you risk being uninsured in a situation you will need the coverage.

Special peril coverage

Always look for pecialized coverage designed particular situations. For example, your area is largely affected by tornadoes and the local auto insurance companies do not offer tornado coverage as part of comprehensive coverage. This means that you will have to buy tornado coverage separately. The situations which may require specialized coverage vary from area to area and you’ll have to buy the one that is relevant to your needs. Make sure to keep the coverage as relevant to your needs as possible tp get an insurance policy to be both adequate and affordable.