1. Getting a Policy. There are a few things to remember when you get a policy. First, don’t settle for average car insurance or the first insurance company or policy that you happen to find. Check up on a few different companies to see what kind of coverage they offer and at what kind of prices.
You can then get a better idea if what you should be looking for. Secondly, compare the quotes that you get from those different companies. You’d be surprised at how you can get very similar kinds of coverage for a very different price tag from two different companies. One place you can check prices and compare from many of the top insurance providers in Canada is here: http://www.kanetix.ca/auto-insurance

2. Combine Policies. If possible, make sure that all the cars that you drive are on one policy. Most companies offer a “multi-vehicle discount” which allows you to insure several of your cars on one policy. You may get up to 10% off each car that you include on the policy. Second, many companies also offer a “multi-line discount” which gives you the option to insure your property/house and your car with the same company. You get a bit of a discount if you do this, and the insurance provider gets more business – everyone wins!

3. Change Up Your Policy. Here are a couple of changes that you can make to your current policy, so that you can get a little bit of a break. First, you can increase your deductibles on certain coverage options. A deductible is the amount that you agree to pay first if an accident occurs, and your insurance company will agree to cover anything on top of that amount. The higher you make your deductible, the less you will have to pay for your auto insurance rate because companies see you are willing to pay for any damage or repairs up front. A second change you can make is to tailor your coverage depending on the car that you have. If you drive an older car and it has little history of being stolen, you could lower your comprehensive insurance (which is the part of your auto insurance policy the deals with car theft). Also, if you drive an older car that’s already a bit beat up, then you can also lower your collision coverage because the value of the car is very little any way.

4. You and Your Car. Here are some things that you can do involving your car. First, you can consider getting a car that is “low risk.” Insurance companies look at past statistics and trends of every car and demographic, to see what the likelihood is of i.e. theft, collision, speeding, careless driving, etc. According to these statistics, your auto insurance rate is thus calculated. If you get a car that is not often stolen or not thought to be one which is often involved in speeding, then you will get a lower rate than a higher-risk car. Second, you can drive your car a bit less. Instead of using your car every day to and from work or school, you could use it casually on weekends. Companies think that when you drive less, there is less likelihood of getting into an accident, and thus, you will get a break. A third change that you could make, is that you could install an anti-theft device in your car. If you try to help manage any risk to your car, and thus help your car from not getting stolen, your company will give you a break here, too.

5. You and Your Driving. Take a driver training course. If you have completed one of these courses, you will often pay lower rates because you are considered more knowledgeable, more experienced, and thus safer when you drive. Second, make sure you keep up that safe driving! Whether you’ve taken a course or not, having a clean record is the first and best place to start when you want lower or cheaper auto insurance rates.

So, cheap auto insurance rates? Right at your fingertips! Visit: www.kanetix.ca/auto-insurance today and see what you can find!

There are many penalties and consequences to drinking and driving. Most of them are quite obvious and need no reminder. While it is not a surprise that it is often in the “heat of the moment” that drunk driving occurs, such consequences often do not register until it is too late.

Yet awareness and education is always one of the best ways to deter this kind of behavior. Learning about why safety is important and the consequences that ensue when the usual rules of the road are not followed, is an important method in deterring people from acting in irresponsible and careless ways. While education, learning programs and workshops on drunk driving can often become a “scare tactic” more than . ..

. .a real preventative program. But at the end of the day, whether by scare tactics or by actual preventative education, if people learn and engrain in themselves an understanding of the costs and consequences of drunk driving, then there may be a few less drunk drivers on the road. And that’s worth it.

Your Car Insurance: The Costs of Drunk Driving

One way in which costs and consequences will most definitely incur upon drunk driving, is via your car insurance. One thing to do before you decide on auto insurance coverage or sign a car insurance policy is to make sure you understand their policies thru and thru.

If you are drunk driving, you are driving illegally and under illegal circumstances. When you are in this situation, your insurance policy no longer covers you.

Collision Costs. If you were in a normal accident, the Collision Coverage part of your auto insurance policy would take care of any physical damage to your car or any other car involved in the accident. However, if you are drunk driving, your insurance policy will not cover any damage to your car nor any damage done to anyone else’s vehicle. You will have to pay this from your own pocket.

Third Party Liability or Bodily Injury Costs. If you were in a normal accident, the Third Party Liability (or Bodily Injury Coverage) part of your auto insurance policy, would help you pay for any injury that you cause to a third party involved in the accident. However, if you are drunk driving and injure another person, the other person’s insurance company will cover any immediate expenses for medical or emergency purposes, but the insurance company would then most likely sue you for their costs. That could be very, very expensive for you.

Increased Costs for your Auto Insurance Rates. It’s no secret that: if you get into an accident, even a serious accident, and especially a drunk driving accident, then your auto insurance rates will almost certainly increase dramatically. If you are caught drunk driving and get fined for a DUI (driving under the influence), your auto insurance rates will still increase substantially. This is true even if you don’t get into an accident.

Your driving record or history, as good as it may have been, gets wiped out after a DUI charge, and you are required to start with a blank slate. Many insurance companies and providers, in fact, decline coverage to those who have DUI’s on their record, may choose not to renew your policy, or may even end your coverage right away.

Moreover, a DUI charge and serious accident could mean that you pay 2 or 3 times more than usual for your auto insurance coverage. These increased rates will continue for at least 6 years after the charge. To add this up, this could be thousands of dollars over the 6 years.

Drunk Driving: It’s Not Worth It.

With all the implications, costs, and consequences that could ensue if you are caught drunk driving or get into an accident – it’s not worth it. Make sure you have a designated driver when you are drinking, it’s safer for everyone involved.

If you have been caught with a DUI and are now stuck paying incredibly high auto insurance fees, hopefully you have learnt your lesson. While you have little choice in how high your rates may be, it may still be helpful to compare your car insurance quotes. Visit http://www.kanetix.ca/car-insurance for some rates, but remember that the best thing to do to get lower auto insurance rates is to drive sober.