High Risk Auto Insurance

Being classified as a high risk driver almost certainly means a bigger insurance bill. But you can still cut costs.

This page:

  • Explains what factors cause us to be high risk drivers

  • Describes how to improve a "poor driver" profile

  • Helps you get high risk auto insurance quotes now

Understanding how high risk auto insurance companies set rates can help you improve yours.

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What decides a high risk driver?

More factors decide this than you may expect. Here are the big ones:

Driving record. Okay, no surprise here. Everybody knows that at-fault accidents will increase your rates, but tickets and not-at-fault accidents can too. Why? For every speeding ticket you get, your chances of being involved in a traffic accident rise by 100%, and being involved in multiple car accidents, (even if you're "not at fault") may suggest a pattern of reckless driving.

Personal profile. This probably doesn't come as a surprise, either. And there's not much you can do about it. Insurance companies will always consider men a greater risk than women, teens greater than adults, and urban dwellers greater than rural folk.

Continuous coverage. Whether you've carried auto insurance coverage continuously over the past few years will affect your ability to get a policy now. That's because the assumption is that you've either been driving without coverage (a big no-no!) or had your policy canceled by the previous insurer.

Your credit history. It may not seem fair, but your credit is a factor that increasingly influences other areas of your life, including insurance. Statistics show that drivers with poor credit file more auto insurance claims, and so companies use this info to classify high risk drivers.

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Do you know what your credit is like? Do you know how it might affect your insurance rates? You can find out instantly for $9.95, or get a free copy of your credit report, or even see your total credit score.

Cutting the cost of auto insurance for high risk drivers

Getting yourself out of the high-risk driver category is going to take a little time. You may need to change basic behaviors (like cleaning up a bad driving record and paying your bills on time).

And some factors will fade with time. Most insurance companies rate a driver with no points for three years as a good risk.

But there are a few things you can do to cut high risk auto insurance costs now. Consider driving an older car and dropping collision and comprehensive coverages. Or, if you can accept the risk, carry lower amounts of other standard coverages.

And don't forget that shopping online is a great way to access high risk auto insurance companies in your area. You may even be able to comparison shop between several offers!

High risk auto insurance quotes

Online auto insurance shopping services can come in very handy for the high risk driver. That's because they have instant access to the high risk auto insurance companies in your area.

You don't have to hunt around, and more often than not, you'll get several quotes from one application.

Netquote is a service we like. They're pretty successful at finding providers for even very high risk drivers, and their service is available in all 50 states. Apply with them now.

Note: Netquote partners with a lot of providers, so your quote may take a few days. Be patient.

If you're a high risk driver with an improving record or only one high-risk factor (two tickets, say, but perfect credit), you should apply with a more standard shopping service too. The rates will be lower, and the process is faster.

We like ComparisonMarket, because of their great customer service and low rates. And you can get up to five quotes from one application.
Read more about ComparisonMarket, or apply with them now.

Of course, the best way to cover all your bases and insure the lowest rate possible is to apply with both a standard service (ComparisonMarket) and a service which partners with high risk auto insurance companies (that would be Netquote).

Happy shopping and safe driving.

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