High Risk Auto Insurance - Who are the high risk drivers?

Although we have all heard sayings such as "Drive safely," "Don't drink and drive," and a host of other similar things, unfortunately not everyone heeds that advice. This means that there are many drivers with less than stellar driving records. These not-so-careful drivers are categorized by insurance companies as high-risk drivers, and therefore must be covered by what is knows as high-risk auto insurance.

A high-risk driver is issued what is known as a "non-standard" insurance policy. In recent years however, insurance companies have become super competitive. This coincides with the fact that the number of people who are considered high risk has steadily increased. These two things together have caused insurance companies to issue more and more non-standard policies. Many auto insurance companies now offer the same flexible rate plans and excellent customer service for non-standard policies, that was previously only available with the purchase of a standard auto insurance policy.

A high risk driver is determined by which factors? There is more to it than you may think. Here are the important factors:

The first, and most obvious, is your record as a driver. All right, that's not a surprise. It's common knowledge that at-fault accidents will increase your rates, but did you know that tickets and not-at-fault accidents can too? Why is this? Every speeding ticket that accumulates on your driving record increases the chances of your being in a traffic accident by a hundred percent, and involvement in multiple accidents (even if you are the victim) may be an indicator of a trend of reckless driving. A person with numerous accidents, tickets, or convictions for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving Under the Influence(DUI), are also included.

The second thing is your personal profile. Most likely, this is not too surprising. There's not really much you can do to fix it. Men, teens and inhabitants of cities are considered by insurance companies to be a higher risk than women, adults and country dwellers, respectively. That's just how it is.

Whether or not you've had continuous coverage is the third consideration. Continuous auto insurance coverage over the past few years will improve your eligibility to get a policy now. If you haven't had continuous coverage, it is usually assumed that a previous insurer canceled your policy, or you have been driving despite the fact you haven't had coverage, which is illegal.

And last but not least is your credit history. You may be surprised to find that your credit record can influence your insurance, just as it can influence many other areas of your life. If your credit record is poor, you could potentially be classified as a high-risk driver, as statistics show that drivers with credit problems generally file more insurance claims than those with good credit records.

Pulling yourself out of the high-risk driver category is going to take some time and a commitment. You will have to make sure to pay your bills on time, and clean up your bad driving record. Some of the factors, of course, will disappear from your situation over time. If you haven't lost any points for the last three years, then most insurance companies will rate you as a good risk.

There are a few things to help you cut high risk auto insurance costs today. When driving an older model car, dropping collision and comprehensive coverage should be considered. You can also reduce the amount of other standard coverage's, if you are willing to take the risk.

Don't forget - shopping for insurance online can also be an excellent method of comparing high risk insurers in your region. Compare rates between several different offers!