Obtaining Auto Insurance In The Sunshine State

If you’ve just moved to the Sunshine State, you may be unfamiliar with Florida’s state laws as regards car insurance. You should know that Florida is a “no fault” insurance state. This means that, at least for the purposes of insurance coverage, blame for an accident is not assigned following an accident. Each driver in this state is required to cover his or her own damages. Nevertheless, as you shop for cheap auto insurance in Florida, be aware that the State does have mandated coverage limits:

•    Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – minimum of $10,000
•    Property Damage Liability coverage (PDP) - minimum limit of $10,000.

The state of Florida does not require a minimum coverage for Bodily Injury Liability nevertheless it is a good idea to add this coverage (at least $10,000) to your policy.

Looking at these minimums, you will immediately see that, with the rising costs of medical care, these small limits will not cover much. These are mandated minimums, remember. You are free to add coverage and to do so is an excellent idea. Being under-insured is a dangerous and costly game.

If you’ve done your homework and found a source for cheap auto insurance in Florida, you will already know that those free quotes every insurance company offers are only part of the story. Your final policy price will be based on many other factors.
 
•    Your driving record
•    Your credit score
•    Your grades, if you are a student
•    The distance you drive to work each day
•    Where you park your car and,
•    What kind of car you drive

In a state where the insurance company knows it will have to pay a claim if there is an accident, it stands to reason that finding a policy is more difficult if you have habits which put you at high risk for an accident. Cheap auto insurance in Florida depends upon your ability to lower your risk profile. Do this by keeping a clean driving record, paying your bills on time, buying a car which is not particularly attractive to car thieves and limiting the number of miles you drive each day by using public transportation when possible.

Finally, keep your eye on the insurance market. Insurance premiums are being driven downward by the availability of cheap auto insurance in Florida. Re-evaluate your insurance prior to renewing the policy whenever the time comes.