Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates in Salinas?

For individuals and families looking to live in a modest-sized town, Salinas is a great fit with its population of 155,000+ as of 2019. The town is growing at a slower rate than the national average; the United States’ overall population growth of 6% over the same period of time. Around 60% of Salinas’s population falls between the ages of 18-65, where the majority of drivers fall, and the percentage of people in the civilian workforce above the age of 16 is 63% and the mean commute travel time is 23 minutes. As of 2019, Salinas had 1,081 counts of reported vehicle theft, which translated to a rate of 688.8 thefts per 100,000 residents. This is much higher than the California state average of 358.8 and the United States national average of 219.9.

How Much Car Insurance Coverage Do I Need in Salinas

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has stated that all drivers looking to register vehicles in the state must have minimum insurance coverage of $15,000 to cover the injury or death to one person, $30,000 covering injury or death for multiple individuals per accident, and $5,000 for property damage. A driver’s liability insurance will focus on covering costs to those involved in an accident other than the policyholder. This will help cover any expenses incurred due to property damage or physical injuries resulting from the crash. However, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has also explicitly stated that comprehensive and collision insurance does not meet the state’s minimum vehicle insurance requirements, so drivers will need to ensure that their insurance policies cover the aforementioned amounts and types of damage awards.

Also of note is the fact that all insurance companies in California will report private-use vehicle insurance information to the state, which is required by law. Those without proof of insurance will have their vehicle registration suspended until the state can verify that they have purchased car insurance. Many drivers will want to purchase insurance plans that cover more than the minimum, as the California minimums are likely to not be enough in the case of more serious crashes. For instance, the $5,000 property damage would likely not be enough to cover damages caused by the collision of one or multiple expensive vehicles, while the death or injury coverage would not be enough to cover many cases where a crash causes individuals to be hospitalized for an extended time or worse.

Most Expensive and Least Expensive Insurance Rates by Zip Code

Cheap Car Insurance in Salinas by Insurer

Don’t worry about finding affordable car insurance in California, as there are many insurance companies that operate in the state. Below is a ranking from the cheapest to most expensive companies offering the most affordable state minimum car insurance plans.

Even though the minimum car insurance necessary to register a vehicle in the state of California can be pretty affordable, be sure to consider your own coverage needs when selecting a policy. Additionally, be sure to do a bit of research into your intended insurance company’s customer service reviews in your area, which can save you a lot of headaches in the future when you need to deal with representatives from the company.

Compare all car insurance company rates near you here.

Low Cost Auto Insurance for Bad Credit in Salinas

California does not allow car insurance companies to discriminate based on a driver’s credit, so all drivers will have access to the same insurance policy rates regardless of if they have bad credit or not. This is good news to anyone who has had issues with their credit in the past.

Find out how your car insurance rates are impacted with bad credit.

What is the Difference Between Full Coverage and Liability?

What is Liability Only Insurance Coverage?

Liability insurance will pay for the injuries and/or damages that you cause to others in the case of a collision where you were at fault. In most cases, liability insurance will cost less than full-coverage insurance, but then again, they are both very different in what they cover. Liability is mandatory in all U.S. states, although how much liability you are required to have differs between states. Even if it wasn’t mandatory to have liability insurance, accidents can happen anytime and, if they do, you will need to be able to pay for the damages that you cause if you were the one to blame.

What is Full Coverage?

Full coverage auto insurance in Arizona pays for your injuries and the damages made to your car as well as for others and isn’t just a specific type of a policy but it is instead liability, comprehensive insurance, and collision all combined. Full coverage insurance is not mandatory, but is good to have since it will help pay for your car to be fixed in the event of an accident that causes you injury or damage to your car, even if you were at fault. If the other person that collided with you was at fault, then their insurance will cover the damages to your car and your injuries. This is why there are laws requiring everyone to have insurance to cover the damages they cause.

What is the Difference Between the Two Types of Car Insurance?

Liability and Full coverage policies have many distinctions but the chief one is that under a liability policy your car is not covered. If you are in an accident and are found at-fault, your liability policy will cover the other driver and her passengers. A full coverage policy, on the other hand, covers damage done to your car as a result of a wide range of accidents, even if you are at-fault. These policies also differ when it comes to premium payments.

Average Annual Car Insurance Rates in California by City

Additional cities in California you can check out.

Tips to Get a Cheaper Car Insurance Rate

There are many ways that you can save on auto insurance in Salinas:

  • A good driving record

    Being a safe driver is the best way to keep your auto insurance cost down; the fewer accidents you have the less you will pay.

  • Shop around for quotes

    Insurance rates can vary substantially from company to company, which is why you will need to shop around and get quotes from each company. Most companies will give you a fast, free quote online.

  • Raise your deductible

    If you are considering getting a full-coverage plan, you can ask for a higher deductible to lower your monthly cost. The higher the deductible the lower your price will be.

  • Save on bundling

    You can save some money on auto insurance by bundling. Getting both auto insurance protections along with something like homeowners’ insurance in one plan will cost less than if you were to get separate plans.

  • Establish a good credit report

    Insurance companies base your cost on many factors, including what’s in your credit report, so, the better your credit report is, the lower your auto insurance costs will be.

  • Reduce the miles you drive daily

    Reducing how many miles you drive daily can also help cut auto insurance costs. You might consider car-pooling, taking a bus, or getting places the old-fashioned way – walk.

To take advantage of all discounts on premiums, check out this guide.

These are the Common Reasons for Insurance Rates in Salinas

As you can see, car insurance rates are influenced by a complex set of factors, all of them are determined by risk data for each insurance agency. How much each agency charges, though, based upon similar risk data, can vary widely. In the case of younger drivers, they can save literally thousands of dollars each year by shopping around. The insurance agencies will charge drivers different rates for their automobile insurance premiums by their age and marital status, driving record, area they live in, and whether they carry liability-only or full coverage insurance. If the customer opts for collision insurance, the carriers will charge more for a lower deductible.

Since there are so many factors to take into consideration in how much an insurance agency charges you for automobile insurance, it quite literally pays to thoroughly educate yourself about automobile insurance and to shop around for the best quote.

Learn how citations can affect your insurance premiums here.

Helpful Salinas, California Vehicle Resources:

Live Traffic and Accidents
https://www.localconditions.com/weather-salinas-california/93901/traffic.php

DMV (Find Locations, Vehicle Registration, Titles and Insurance Info)
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/field-office/salinas/

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