Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates in Santa Clarita?
Santa Clarita houses a population of nearly 213,000 as of 2019, making it a mid-sized American city. The town is growing at a slower rate than the national average, having grown only 2.0% between 2010-2019 compared to the United States’ overall population growth of 6.3% over that same amount of time. The percentage population of Santa Clarita between the ages of 18-65, where the majority of drivers fall, is around 63%. Between 2014-2018, the percentage of individuals above the age of 16 who were in the work force was around 69%, which was slightly higher than the national average.
Additionally, the mean commute time for workers is nearly 36 minutes, significantly above the national average of 26.6 minutes, making this a town where commuters can expect to spend more than the average amount of time getting to work and back home from work each day, which is important for insurance because the length of time spent in the car is part of an insurance companies risk assessment. However, in 2019 Santa Clarita reported only 219 counts of vehicle theft, averaging out to only 100.4 vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents. This is only about a third of the California state average at 358.8. So, while risk from longer drives is up, risk of theft is down compared to the averages.
What Insurance Coverage is Needed for Drivers in Santa Clarita
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 for the injury or death of one person, $30,000 for injury or death of multiple individuals in a single accident, and $5,000 for property damage. A driver’s liability insurance will focus on covering costs for those involved in an accident who are not the policyholder. It will help them 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.
Additionally, all insurance companies in California will report private-use vehicle insurance information to the state, as this 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. Most drivers should 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 coverage 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 period or worse.
Most Expensive and Least Expensive Insurance Rates by Zip Code
Cheap Car Insurance in Santa Clarita by Insurer
Do not worry about finding affordable car insurance in California, as there are many insurance companies that operate in the state. Below you’ll find a ranking from the least to most expensive companies offering state minimum car insurance plans. Even though the minimum car insurance necessary to register a vehicle in the state of California can be affordable, be sure to consider your own coverage needs when selecting a policy and decide if you need more than the minimum. Additionally, be sure to do a bit of research into your intended insurance company’s customer service reviews in your area. This can save you a lot of headaches in the future when you need to deal with representatives from the company and get a fast response so you can get back out on the road.
Use this guide to compare the best auto insurance premiums by company.
Low Cost Auto Insurance for Bad Credit in Santa Clarita
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. So there’s no need to worry if you have poor credit, just get your quotes and see who offers the best deal for you.
Want to know how your credit score affects your insurance rates, click here to learn more.
What is the Difference Between Full Coverage and Liability?
What is Liability Only Insurance Coverage?
Liability-only coverage means that you are only paying to cover the cost of damage that you do to other people and their property in the event you are at fault in an accident. It covers the costs of medical bills for people you injure or repair costs for property you damage.
It is a good idea to carry more liability insurance than these minimum amounts required by the state of California because you will be personally financially liable if you are in an accident and cause more damage to people or property than the state’s minimum required coverage levels.
What does Full Coverage Insurance Cover?
Full coverage insurance not only covers the cost of the people and things you might harm when you are in an accident that is your fault. It also covers the cost of any repairs that your property or vehicle might need if you are in an accident that is your fault.
There are two main types of coverage beyond liability coverage:
Collision – This type of insurance covers the cost of repairs to your vehicle or your property that you might damage in an accident in which you are at fault.
Comprehensive – This type of insurance covers the repair costs for your vehicle when one of those unusual things happen that are outside of your control, like weather-related damage to your vehicle, theft, vandalism, and deer stepping in front of your vehicle as you drive.
Difference Between the Two Types of Coverage
The main difference between having liability and full coverage insurance is that liability insurance will only pay for injuries to others and their damages that resulted from an accident where you were at fault, where full coverage will not only pay for the damages and injuries done to others but will also cover your injuries and auto damages that resulted from an accident that you caused as well.
Average Annual Car Insurance Rates in California by City
Helpful Advice to Get Lower Car Insurance Rates
Save on Your Insurance Policy Rates With These Discounts in Santa Clarita:
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Don’t Speed
If you are caught speeding, your license will accrue points. With each additional point, your insurance company considers you more of a liability and so will charge you more for insurance. Stick to local in-town limits and use your cruise control on the highway to avoid excessive speed.
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Shop Around
Different insurers charge different premiums for virtually the same policies. Since the essential service is often identical from company to company, you are sure to save money by comparing rates from multiple companies.
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Avoid Accidents
When you are at fault in an accident, law enforcement will add points to your license. Further, the other party is likely to file a claim against your policy. When insurers pay out on claims, they typically raise the premiums for those policy holders.
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Bundled Insurance Packages
If you have renter’s insurance or are a homeowner, you may be able to add your automobile to the policy. This also goes for other vehicles or even health insurance. Insurance companies love to bundle policies and offer incentives for customers to do so. You will only have one premium payment to make, which makes things easy, and you’ll save money, as well.
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Insure Multiple Cars
If you own multiple cars, your per-car rates are bound to be lower if you put them all on the same policy. You can also include a car owned by your spouse or domestic partner. You could also add your partner to health insurance or cover their recreational vehicles under your policy.
Reasons that Affect Your Automobile Insurance Rates in Santa Clarita CA
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.
How to tickets and accidents affect your driving record and insurance?
Check Out Car Insurance Companies in Santa Clarita and Reviews
Helpful Santa Clarita, California Vehicle Resources:
Live Traffic and Accidents
https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Traffic/Traffic_info-Santa_Clarita-_-California-United_States
DMV (Find Locations, Vehicle Registration, Titles and Insurance Info)
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/field-office/newhall/