How To Find The Most Affordable Car Insurance in West Virginia

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In West Virginia, the average cost of car insurance is $1,378, which is 3 percent less than the national average. In this case, being below average is a good thing but it could be even better. There are ways to lower car insurance premiums. And we will get to those tips a little bit later on but first we will take a closer look at car insurance in West Virginia.

State Minimum Liability Requirements

If you ever cause a car accident, liability insurance pays for other people’s injuries and property damage, up to your liability limit. Each state has minimum liability requirements for the drivers in their state.

In West Virginia, the minimum liability requirements are $25,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person, $50,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident and $25,000 property damage liability coverage per accident.

This minimum liability coverage costs around $604 per year.

Compare Car Insurance Quotes in West Virginia

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Uninsured motorist coverage helps pay for damages caused by a driver who doesn’t have insurance.

West Virginia requires its drivers to have uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident and $25,000 property damage per accident.

A More Comprehensive Policy Costs More

In West Virginia, a more comprehensive policy with collision coverage and comprehensive coverage and $1,000 deductibles costs somewhere in the ballpark of $1,202 per year.

Collision insurance is coverage that helps to repair or replace your car if it is damaged in an accident with another vehicle or object such as a fence or a tree. Comprehensive insurance covers events that aren’t covered by collision coverage. These events include vandalism, theft, fire and damages from weather such as a hurricane, a tornado, a windstorm and a hailstorm.

If you have a loan on a car, your lender may require you to carry both collision coverage and comprehensive coverage.

A deductible is the amount you need to pay before your auto insurance company begins to pay for damages to your car or losses. Both collision insurance and comprehensive insurance require deductibles.

Choosing a higher deductible will help to lower your car insurance premium.

West Virginia Is an At-Fault State

When it comes to insurance, West Virginia is an at-fault state. This means drivers in West Virginia are responsible for any damage they cause to another vehicle. An insurance adjuster determines who is at fault in an accident.

Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities

In West Virginia, the city with the cheapest car insurance is Martinsburg. The city with the most expensive car insurance is Beckley.

Martinsburg is the fastest growing city in West Virginia. Beckley was named for John James Beckley, the first librarian of Congress.

How To Save Money on Car Insurance

Be a Safe Driver. If you are a safe and responsible driver and you follow the rules of the road, you will save money on car insurance. In West Virginia, drivers without a recent at-fault accident save 34 percent on car insurance premiums. But get reckless and break a few rules and premiums go up. Insurance premiums increase 37 percent after a DUI, 34 percent after an at-fault accident and 17 percent after a speeding ticket. What does that mean in dollars and cents? In West Virginia, a first, minor at-fault accident costs around $726 a year. And a first DUI costs around $848 per year. So be a safe driver and follow the rules of the road and save money. If you’ve been a good driver reach out to your auto insurance company. You’ve earned a good driver discount from your driving behavior out on the road.

Be a Married Motorist. If you are married, you will pay less for car insurance. There is a correlation between being married and exhibiting good driving behavior. Because of this, married motorists pay less for auto insurance than singles. In West Virginia, married motorists save about $99 each year on auto insurance.

Be Excellent with Your Credit. Insurance companies use consumer credit data to assign risk pools and set insurance rates. Drivers with excellent credit get the best auto insurance rates. Drivers with no or bad credit pay much more for car insurance. In West Virginia, a driver who has excellent credit saves around $1,208 per year on car insurance, compared with a driver with bad credit. Want to improve your credit? Get current on all past-due accounts, pay down debt and avoid taking on new debt. Get in the habit of paying your credit bills on-time. This will help you to build a positive payment history, which is good for your credit score.

Get a Multi-Car Discount. Got more than one car to insure? Insure them with the same auto insurance company and save money with a multi-car discount.

Try Bundling Your Policies. Bundle your car insurance policy with another insurance policy such as a homeowners policy and save money.

Pay More but Less Often. Rather than paying monthly auto insurance bills, pay the entire annual amount or six-months amount. Your premium is lower when you pay just once or twice a year.

Check Car Features. Having certain anti-theft and safety features on your car will lower your auto insurance premium. So check the features on your car and see if you are due a discount.

Insure Less on Older Cars. The maximum payout on collision coverage and comprehensive coverage is limited by the value of the car. So if your older car has a low market value, it may not make financial sense to carry collision coverage and comprehensive coverage any longer.

Check Out Memberships. Members of some professional organizations and affiliates get discounts on car insurance. So check your memberships and see if there is money to be saved.

Age Matters. Drivers who are younger than 25 and older than 65 have more serious accidents and pay more for car insurance. Drivers of the ages in-between pay less.

Be a Female Driver. Women make fewer accident claims than men and get rewarded with lower auto insurance rates. Men make more accident claims and pay more.

Keep Miles Low. If you are a heavy commuter that racks up the miles, you will pay more for your car insurance. If you keep mileage low, you will save money on your car insurance. So drive less and pay less on your car insurance.

Stick With Coverage. You’ll pay higher insurance rates if you don’t maintain continuous coverage on your auto insurance. So stick with your auto insurance coverage and save money.

Opt for a High Deductible. As mentioned earlier, choosing a high deductible will help to lower your car insurance premium. Just be sure to put the deductible amount in a small emergency fund. This way the money will be there should you need to file an insurance claim.

Buy a Home. Statistics show that people who own homes drive more safely. So let your insurance company know that you own your home and enjoy the savings on your auto insurance premium.

Choose a Good Neighborhood. If you live in a neighborhood with high accident claims and auto theft, you will pay more for car insurance. If you live in a neighborhood with few accident claims and low crime, you will pay less for your car insurance. So choose a safe neighborhood and save money on your car insurance.

Check out Discounts. A good driver discount already has been mentioned. There are discounts for veterans and students as well. Be sure to reach out if these discounts apply to you. Snatch up your savings.

Shop Around. One of the best ways to save money on car insurance is to shop around. You will want to get insurance quotes from several, different insurance companies. SmartFinancial makes it easy to do. Just input the type of insurance you are looking for and a zip code to get started. Next, answer a few, quick questions and you’ll be comparing auto insurance rates in West Virginia in no time.

SmartFinancial has access to more than 200 insurance companies so you are bound to find the insurance coverage and price that you want. So shop smart for car insurance and drive safely along the roadways of West Virginia.

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