Getting Insurance when you have a Bad Driving Record

Driving without insurance is illegal in most states. Yes, not all states are so strict, but nevertheless, you will need some kind of insurance coverage. You could be stopped by the police for questioning. This can happen easily because a police vehicle has cameras that can identify a number plate and can tell if the car has insurance coverage or not. Furthermore, the police officer will also learn all the necessary particulars about you, especially criminal records, speed violations, and pending tickets. If you do have a poor driving record of getting tickets and a few accidents recorded, the police will take this situation seriously. It is also a possibility that the insurance company may have canceled its policy and have made sure to inform you. This too could show up on the police car’s computer screen. This could easily result in a strict penalty for driving without insurance.

Therefore, since you have a bad driving record; it is imperative you get auto insurance coverage to abide by the laws, for your safety, for the safety of others and to have peace of mind when you are driving your car.

The following steps will help you get auto insurance coverage. Many insurance companies thoroughly study your driving records, and might not want to entertain your request for a policy or the premium they ask for coverage might be very extra high. But if you study these steps and let them guide you, you will successfully secure the necessary coverage you want at a reasonable price.

There are many resources online that can help you find a good insurance quote that is right for you. Click Here

The steps to be taken

Study each and every one of them. See which ones can be easy to follow. Work hard to cover those that are difficult to implement. Start off on any one of them that you can tackle as quickly as possible. Try to do as many as possible.

Be patient and wait for a while

Just because you have not driven well in the past does not mean you cannot improve your driving. Your bad driving record is not going to stay with you indefinitely. A certain driving mistake will stop appearing in your records. After some years have passed, say 2 to 4 years, those mistakes you had made will be removed from the records. The regulations regarding that differ from state to state. Any recent bad driving incident will be more noticeable than those that happened a year or two back.

If you have not had any car-related accident and have not been issued any type of traffic ticket, then this will look good with insurance companies. After all, they just want to make money so make it easy for them to offer you a deal. But start making it easy for them by following the advice given here.

In the meantime, go for some driving lessons that can help you drive more safely. Completing some courses can be a great help to your driving skills. Many insurance companies give a discount to drivers that have done driving courses involving defensive driving. That will lower the premium and also help you avoid accidents more easily.

Just don’t get any kind of traffic fines. This should be easy to do if you follow the laws.

Buying a safer and reliable vehicle

Premiums are lower for new cars. And depending on the model and safety features, you could get that insurance coverage more quickly. You could even get a discount on the basis of having a brand new car with the latest type of safety gadgets installed in it.

You have to be upfront with all those bad driving records

There are factors that will impede getting insurance and can lead to outright denials. These factors could be having too many parking tickets, speed violations, being an at-fault driver in accidents or driving under influence. By trying to hide facts, you might get insurance coverage. And when the insurance company runs a check on you, it may find out the truth about your driving habits and the company may plainly deny giving you the most minimum coverage or increase your monthly premium to a very high price. Besides these actions, such behavior might also be recorded against you by the company that will alert other insurance companies about you.

Seek out high-risk insurance companies

You have to approach nonstandard car insurance policy dealers. Such dealers are willing to insure accident-prone drivers.  The state might require that you obtain a form called SR 22. This form will be filled out by the company certifying that you have enough insurance coverage. Usually, these high-risk dealers would be more willing to cover motorists that are instructed by the state to get SR 22 forms. They could be the ones that ask for the highest types of premium. But they will not turn you down so quickly.

If you have to, ask for a minimum coverage policy

Don’t ask for comprehensive coverage. Skip any discounts. Forget any type of transferrable terms for the insurance. Ask for only the most essential insurance coverage, like medical coverage. If your car is worth a lot, then consider selling it off so you would not need comprehensive or collision coverage. Get something that has more safety features and is less expensive. At least you would not be driving without insurance anymore. The car might not be that important in a crash situation and you will have some protection. Also, you can offer to take on more deductible expenses. That will go down well with the company.

Checking out discounts

Yes, you were advised to skip this to just get any minimum insurance coverage. But considering that most insurance companies and high-risk insurance companies usually demand a high premium, maybe you could negotiate some deal to lower the premium by asking for some discount. You can ask for a discount if you satisfy one of these bases which are:

• You are financially sound and stable.
• You own your home or have valuable property.
• You are getting many cars insured.
• You are a good student.
• You have a record of prior insurances that came with discounts.

Ask your insurance company on what basis they could offer you a discount. Companies differ in policies, don’t forget that.

Once insured, stay in the loop

Once you get that auto insurance coverage doesn’t let it slip. It has been noticed that accident-prone drivers forget paying their premiums or forget to start the policy afresh after the policy expires. Don’t fall into these categories. This is one of the ways bad drivers are identified. If you neglect to keep your insurance up, you run the risk of having to pay a higher premium deal the next time you go for coverage. Also, that bad record of yours will show these particulars.

Keep the insurance going, and stay clear from paying heavy premiums again.

The finishing touches

When these steps are understood and applied, it is hoped you will soon get that insurance coverage and you can say goodbye to any type of penalty for driving without insurance forever.

Do try to guide other bad drivers that are having a hard time and show them this article so they too can benefit from it too.