How To Find The Most Affordable Car Insurance in Utah

In Utah, the average cost of car insurance is around $1,112, which is 22 percent less than the national average. People in Utah know all about getting deals on car insurance but those deals can be even better. There are tips and strategies for saving money on car insurance. And we will get to those in a bit, but first let’s take a closer look at car insurance in Utah.

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 Utah, the state minimum liability requirements are $25,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person, $65,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident and $15,000 property damage liability coverage per accident.

The cost of this minimum liability coverage is about $601 per year.

Utah Is a No-Fault State

If you happen to get into a car accident, no-fault insurance will reimburse you for any hospital or medical expenses and lost wages from inability to work. No-fault insurance will cover these expenses regardless of who is responsible for the accident.

No-fault insurance is also known as Personal Injury Protection (PIP). Utah is a no-fault state and requires its drivers to carry PIP coverage of $3,000.

A More Comprehensive Policy Costs More

In Utah, a more comprehensive policy with collision insurance and comprehensive insurance and $1,000 deductibles costs approximately $1,013.

Compare Car Insurance Rates in Utah

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 tree or a fence. Comprehensive insurance covers events that aren’t covered by collision coverage. These events include vandalism, fire, theft and damages from weather such as a windstorm, a hailstorm, a tornado and a hurricane.

If you have a loan on your car, your lender may require that you 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 coverage and comprehensive coverage require deductibles.

Choosing a high deductible is one way to save money on your auto insurance premium.

Cheapest and Most Expensive Cities

In Utah, the city with the cheapest car insurance is Logan. The city with the most expensive car insurance is West Valley City.

Logan is known for its performing arts scene. West Valley City is a suburb of Salt Lake City.

How to Save Money on Car Insurance

Ready to learn more about saving money on car insurance? Here come the tips. Use as many as you can to save money on your insurance premium.

Have Excellent Credit. Insurance companies use consumer credit data to assign risk pools and set insurance rates. Drivers with excellent credit get the lowest insurance rates and the best deals. Drivers with no credit or bad credit pay much more for their car insurance. In Utah, a driver with excellent credit saves an average of $1,342 per year on car insurance, compared to a driver with bad credit. Need a little help with that credit score? 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 build up a positive payment history, which is good for your credit score.

Be a Married Motorist. If you are married, you will pay less for car insurance. There is a correlation between being married and exhibiting safe driving behavior. Because of this married motorists pay less for auto insurance than singles. In Utah, married motorists save $55 per year on car insurance.

Be a Responsible Driver. If you are a safe and responsible driver who follows the rules of the road, you will save money on your car insurance. In Utah, drivers without a recent moving violation save 14 percent on car insurance premiums. But if you start breaking the rules, premiums head up. In Utah, premiums increase 29 percent after a DUI, 29 percent after an at-fault accident and 14 percent after a speeding ticket. And a first, minor, at-fault accident costs an extra $437 per year. If you have been a good and responsible driver be sure to reach out to your auto insurance company. Your good driving behavior has earned you a good driver discount. Be sure to ask for one.

Try a Bundle. Bundle your auto insurance policy with another insurance policy such as a homeowners policy and save money.

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

Pay Once or Twice a Year. 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 Anti-Theft Features. Having certain anti-theft and safety features on your car will lower your car insurance. So check the features on your car and find out if you are due a discount.

Review Memberships. Members of some professional organizations and affiliates get discounts on car insurance. So review your memberships and see if you are eligible for a discount on your car insurance.

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.

Check for Discounts. The good driver discount already was mentioned. There are discounts for students and veterans as well. So be sure to reach out if you qualify.

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

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

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

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

Pick a Safe Place to Live. If your neighborhood has high accident claims and auto theft, you will pay more for your car insurance. If your neighborhood has low 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.

Be a Homeowner. 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.

Shop Around. One of the best ways to save money on car insurance is to shop around. SmartFinancial makes it easy to do. Just input the type of insurance you are looking for and a zip code to start. Next, answer a few, quick questions and you’ll be comparing auto insurance rates in Utah 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 are looking for. So shop smart for auto insurance and drive safely along the roadways of Utah.