Car Insurance Myths

We have all heard of urban legends, or urban myths as they are known in some circles. They are simply stories that have been told over and over again and picked up some pretty serious distortions along the way to make them more interesting. Some of them are fabricated from a grain of truth before they are blown out of proportion, but most of them are just wild stories. Did you know that urban myths also exist in the world of car insurance?

A car’s color has often been the subject of insurance myths. I’m sure you’ve heard somewhere along the way that a red car is more expensive to insure than any other color car. Although a car’s color can include it in many different statistics, insurance is typically not one of them. Odds are your insurance company won’t even ask you what color your car is before they give you a quote. Now, if the individual who drives a red colored car let’s the exciting, high energy feeling that the color inspires effect his driving habits, then yes, he’s going to have more tickets, more points on his license, and ultimately a higher insurance premium.

Here are some additional statistics of interest that were gleaned from this report – more than 50% of the drivers that were cited while driving one of the top five offending vehicles were women. The Hummers were the exception, they were most often piloted by men. The Scion TC boasted the youngest drivers on average (most of them between the ages of 16 and 30) and of those ticketed, a whopping 61% of them were women. Ladies, let’s work on slowing it down, urban legends abound when it comes to women drivers – we need not create urban truths out of them.

Another popular subject of rampant insurance myths is the color of the car. You’ve probably heard that a red car is more expensive to insure than any other color at least once in your lifetime. If you haven’t heard it yet, you probably will in the future and now, you will be prepared to impose your wisdom on the speaker of the legend. Red cars usually do not cost more to insure. In fact, most insurance companies won’t even ask you about the color of your car while calculating your rate quote. The color question comes after you’ve purchased your policy and it’s only for identification purposes. There are a select few companies that may modify your rates based on the color of your car if they have statistical data that states a higher percentage of accidents for that color. It doesn’t happen often, but if you’re insuring a red car there’s no reason to sweat it…. read on.

Here are a couple of fun facts – although a red car won’t cost you any more to insure, it will cost you more to buy. Red cars, no matter the make and model, list for roughly 9% more than any other color, and car salesmen are less likely to negotiate on the price of a red car. So, a red car may cost a little more up front, but according to another statistic, it is one of the safer colors to drive. Black cars are actually 12% more likely to be involved in a traffic accident during daylight hours, followed by gray, silver, blue and finally red.

When you look at the facts, it seems as though owning and driving a bright red sports car may actually be beneficial in many aspects. It won’t cost you any more to insure, the color alone will heighten your mood and energy levels and you’ll be less likely to be involved in a accident – pretty much makes up for that slightly higher purchase price.

Whether you drive a bright red Corvette, a dark green Nova or anything in between, you can trust Leland West for your classic car insurance policy.

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Kristen Wesch on April 1st 2011 in Car Insurance

The Re-Launch of the Baldwin-Motion Camaro

If you are a fan of classic American muscle cars, particularly Chevys and specifically Camaros, there’s a really good chance that you have heard of the legendary Baldwin-Motion Performance Group. The last genuine Baldwin-Motion Camaro rolled out almost 40 years ago. The next genuine Baldwin-Motion Camaro will roll out this year.

Back in the late 1950′s a small Brooklyn Sunoco service station housed an even smaller performance modification operation known as Motion Performance. With the installation of a Clayton chassis dynamometer in 1963, junior partner Joel Rosen and the business took flight. By 1966, Rosen relocated his growing business to his own shop in Baldwin, NY and incorporated to become Motion Performance, Inc. By 1967, he was showcasing his talents with his dyno-tuned 289 and 427 Shelby Cobras and setting track, regional and national drag racing records.

Following the introduction of the new-for-1967 Camaro, Rosen struck up a partnership with Baldwin Chevrolet and with the help of Marty Schorr, created a specialty car program the likes of which nobody had seen before. From 1967 through 1974, factory Camaros were sold at Baldwin Chevrolet and converted by Motion Performance into Phase III, 500+ horsepower, big-block, street legal monsters. Rosen was so confident in his cars that the Phase III 427 and 454′s came with an unprecedented money-back quarter mile performance guarantee. These supercars were promised to turn at least 120 mph in 11.50 seconds or better on a sanctioned drag strip and if not, could be returned for a full refund. Not one car ever came back.

Sadly, Baldwin Chevrolet closed it’s doors in 1974 which ended the Baldwin-Motion partnership and the further production of the supercar Camaros. Rosen and Motion Performance continued to build and badge new and used performance cars which were spectacular in their own right, but not genuine Baldwin-Motion machines.

In 2005, Joel Rosen re-appeared on the scene with Mart Schorr and formed a partnership with Motion, LLC. A performance part specialty shop in Florida. Their mission was to launch the Baldwin-Motion and Motion brands with a new endeavor called the Great American Supercar Project. The Launch Edition of the new project was a new 1969 Baldwin-Motion Phase III Camaro, a super-modified, extremely limited edition 600 horsepower Supercoupe. A 450 hp version of the SS-427 was also released alongside the SouperCoupe, and each model is available in a coupe or convertible with Super Sport, Rally Sport or SS/RS trim options.

Six years later, the Baldwin-Motion legacy is being re-launched yet again. Another ground-breaking partnership, spear-headed by Rosen between a NY Chevrolet dealership and Redline Moptorsports has resulted in another run of Baldwin-Motion badged Camaros. In the tradition of the originals, the new 2011 Camaros will be special-ordered through the dealership, custom built for each client, dyno-tested, documented, serialized and hand-signed by Joel Rosen himself. They will be available in SS-427, 525 hp versions and Phase III monsters that smack down over 800 horsepower.

Whether you own an original Baldwin-Motion car from the early 70′s, a 2005 re-release version or are looking into a new 2011 modified version be sure to protect your one-of-a-kind car with an iron-clad classic car insurance policy from a proven and trusted provider like Leland West.

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Kristen Wesch on March 15th 2011 in Car Insurance

Safe Driving Saves Money

A new young driver looking to obtain their first insurance coverage plan can be up against many challenges. Insurance can be very costly to new drivers so its good to know your options. Look online and find rates with multiple companies so you can compare and choose what works best with your budget. A history of traffic violations and accidents will increase your auto insurance premium, so drive safely and cautiously to avoid additional costs. Being a safe driver will pay off and keep your premiums low each year.

If you wish to bring down the cost of your insurance, drive safely. The one thing that will drive up the cost of your insurance premiums is a history of accidents and moving violations. Get information regarding Mississippi Car Insurance.

If you make your deductible on claims high, the premium in which you pay will be lower. The deductible is the amount of claim that you are responsible for in the event of an accident. This will help bring your deductible down significantly.

If you increase your deductible, this will bring your monthly premium down significantly. The deductible is the amount of a claim that you are responsible for. The larger you make your deductible, the lower your premium.

Insurance companies do offer discount options to young drivers. One advantage to help save is maintaining a B average. This will get you the “good student” discount. Also, anytime you attend a drivers education course, this will get you savings and lower your risk.

The one thing that you have no control over that will lower your premium is age. Young people, particularly males, have a higher crash rate than older drivers, so this causes the premiums to be higher. The good news though is as you grow older and maintain a clean driving record, you will definitely see your premiums decline.

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Johnna Blalock on March 4th 2011 in Car Insurance

You Must Have Auto Coverage

Auto repair is very expensive and so is medical costs, so the importance of insurance is the law. With today’s high medical costs, and vehicle repair, a small accident could cause a huge financial hardship for you. So you see that insurance is definitely not an option, its a necessity.

Insurance offers you financial coverage in the event you have an accident. You pay a monthly/annual premium for this coverage and they protect you in the event of a loss. Insurance is a necessity and you must carry this to void major financial losses.

How do you know what kind of insurance coverage you should get? There are many factors when deciding which route to go. You certainly want to get liability coverage to protect yourself in the event you cause an accident.

If you have an older vehicle, you do not have to purchase collision insurance since you might pay more for premiums than your cars worth. So when you purchase your vehicle, depending on its worth, you will know what route to go when choosing your insurance plan.

You must have bodily injury to cover medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering for the other party involved in an accident in which you caused. This will cover the cost for court fees in the event you are sued and taken to court.

Property Damage Liability pays for the other persons property that has been damaged from and accident in which you were held responsible. Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists will pay your medical bills and certain expenses if you are injured in an accident caused by someone else that has no insurance.

Collision coverage pays for the damage to an insured vehicle in an accident involving another vehicle or some other object. Comprehensive coverage will pay for damage to your car not caused by and accident such as theft or vandalism.

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Johnna Blalock on March 4th 2011 in Car Insurance

IPDE WHILE DRIVING

The IPDE Process is a process that helps you drive safer and to avoid dangerous situations while on the road. There are 4 steps in the IPDE Process. They are Identify, Predict, Decide, and Execute. Research Prices and rates for Utah Car Insurance

The first step in this process is to Identify. Things you need to identify are traffic control devices, their requirements, and whether they are functioning properly. Next you must predict. You might have to predict that other drivers may or may not comply with their respective traffic control devices. Therefore, special scanning attention should be included to address “red light runners” and other driver actions that could result in a traffic crash.

Third you must Decide. For example, you would “decide” when the intersection is safe and legal to enter. Ensuring that the traffic control device permits legal travel in your lane for the maneuver that you are about to undertake is deciding. When you enter and pass though the intersection, ensure that an adequate gap is available and that you are maintaining a sufficient space cushion. Last you must execute. An example would be maneuvering through the intersection with the brake covered, in order to ensure that a minimum stopping or maneuvering distance is available in the event that “the worst” should occur.

Always scan for potential hazards when approaching intersections. The possibility always exists that other drivers may disregard the traffic control device. As such, scanning techniques should be focused on cars approaching an intersection at a speed that would not permit their ability to stop.

Entering controlled intersections on a yellow light should only occur if, because of proximity or current speed, it is unsafe for you to attempt to stop prior to entering the intersection. Upon first observation of a yellow light, your safest maneuver is to attempt to slow in a manner that permits a stop at the stop bar prior to the crosswalk.

Signal light-controlled intersections are typically the highest volume and the most dangerous. To ensure safety, the responsible driver will strictly adhere to signal light requirements.

Adhering to right away rules is also highly important, in addition to traffic control device requirements, ensures continued intersection safety. Never attempt to enter an intersection that has opposing vehicular traffic, regardless of the presence of an authorizing traffic signal.

Flashing signal lights are placed for added emphasis at moderate volume intersections that are not equipped with standard traffic lights. Never text while operating a motor vehicle, and always carry automobile insurance. Check with the state you reside in for the legal requirements involving acceptable levels of insurance.

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Johnna Blalock on March 2nd 2011 in Car Insurance