My DUI conviction here in Houston two years ago had a negative effect on my car insurance. How long will it stay high and what can I do to have lower car insurance?

Gary

Houston, TX

The amount of time that your DUI can affect your car insurance rates in Houston depends on the guiding principles of your car insurance provider and the regulations of the state you live in. Different states have different laws regarding how long a DUI or DWI stays on your driving record. It could stay on your motor vehicle record (MVR) for as short as a few years to as long as 10 years depending on the state and the conditions concerning your DUI conviction. As long as your alcohol-related offense stays on your MVR, it is most probably to have an effect on your car insurance premiums.

Every car insurance carrier has their own means of assessing and rating drivers. To determine the amount of time your DUI will remain on your MVR, you can get in touch with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and to determine how long your present car insurance carrier would continue to give higher premium, get in touch with your car insurance agent.

To lower the payment for your car insurance, you have to shop around the car insurance market. You will discover that even if you have a serious DUI offense two years ago, there are other car insurance companies that can offer you reasonable fees for your coverage. You can do this by simply going online and visiting car insurance comparison quotes Websites. You can collect different car insurance quotes from them and choose the best one that has lower rates than what you pay right now.

I live in Houston TX and recently I was convicted of DUI. Now Im a bit worried with my auto insurance if they will increase my insurance rate. How much will it be?

Ricky

Houston TX

Houston drivers would be well advised to know how strict Texas laws are when it comes to DUI or Driving Under the Influence. Even stricter are the punishments faced by anyone proven to be driving drunk or under the influence of drugs. Fines can be very costly, license suspended, and the possibility of going to jail is very real, just for of a few bottles of suds. A DUI auto insurance policy is also essential once you are allowed to drive again after a DUI.

Let’s take a closer look at the penalties Texas has for DUI offenders: First-time offenders gets fined $2,000, jail time from 72 hours up to 180 days, 90 day – one year license suspension and you would need to install an Interlock Ignition Device on all of your vehicles at your own expense. 2nd offense: $4,000 fine, 30 days – 1 year in jail, license suspension for 6 months to a year. 3rd offense: $10,000 fine, 2 – 10 years in jail, and two years license revocation.

Life after a DUI can be very expensive, especially when it comes to auto insurance coverage. One can expect much higher rates and premiums if you have a DUI on your record, however, affordable DUI auto insurance coverage is still available, you just have to know how and where to look for them.

The Internet is one of the best, if not THE best, ways to maximize your chances of getting an affordable DUI auto insurance. Houston is a big market and there are many dedicated DUI and auto insurance providers and online insurance portals that caters to it. By running free auto insurance quote checks and comparing many different companies, you are sure to find an auto insurance policy that best suits your needs.

Remember, the right kind of DUI auto insurance can save you hundreds of dollars a year, if not more. It doesn’t take days or hours to find them, only minutes of your time and a small bit of effort. Done correctly, you are sure to find a quality auto insurance provider that doesn’t break your bank.

I don’t have my own car insurance before because I was under my mom’s policy here in Houston. Now that I have to get insurance for myself, I need to know the types of coverage I can get. What are the options that I have when it comes to getting car insurance?

Sergio

Houston, TX

Getting car insurance in Houston would give you protection from financial loss for paying any damages that may be incurred in an accident. There is a wide selection of car insurance coverage and deductible options available for you. There are three main types of car insurance coverage and it would be helpful that you understand how they are different from one another.

Liability Coverage
Almost all states require motorists to carry a minimum level of liability coverage. The necessary amount differs as per state laws where you reside so you have to get in touch with your insurance company to find out about it. This kind of coverage would provide coverage for any damages you cause to other people and properties.

Collision Coverage
This kind of coverage would pay for the damages to your automobile caused by another automobile or property.

Comprehensive Coverage
This type of insurance coverage would pay for the damages to your automobile that are caused by vandalism or theft. Also, damages caused by natural disasters such as fire, storm and tornadoes are covered by this type of insurance coverage.

Aside from the three main types of insurance coverage, there are other types of coverage that you can get for your car insurance in Houston. These are uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, emergency road service and car rental coverage.

What is the main idea behind having SR22 if a driver here in Houston has DUI?

Val

Houston, TX

SR22 insurance, commonly referred to as high risk insurance, is an assurance that a driver has the minimum required insurance coverage. In Houston, a driver will be asked for SR22 insurance if he is considered as high risk driver, particularly if he/she has a conviction for Driving Under the Influence (DUI). It is illegal for someone to drive without the required minimum auto liability insurance. If a motorist was asked to stop by an officer because of a traffic violation and the driver has been convicted for DUI, additional penalties will be applied if it is determined that the driver has no insurance.

DUI SR22 insurance has two types of policies; first is the owner type of policy and the other one is for the non-owner which is simply the operator of the automobile and not essentially the owner. To file for DUI SR22 insurance, the car insurance company will send the form to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). It is crucial for the DUI SR22 insurance policyholder to make sure that the coverage does not lapse for any reason. If this happens, the car insurance company will let the DMV know about this and it will prompt them to re-suspend the driver’s license of the person required to carry DUI SR22 insurance.

It seems like I am paying more and more every year for my auto insurance here in Houston, Texas. Could you give me some helpful tips on how to save on my auto insurance premium?

Harold

Houston, TX

There are a lot of things to be considered when insurers decide on the amount of premium that you will pay for your auto insurance in Houston, Texas. They are:

–the worth of your vehicle
–your driving history
–your age
–your marital status
–your location
–your gender
–the make and model of your vehicle

In case you live in an urban area but you have a property somewhere else, you might want to use the other address to register your car. If the property that you own is in the country, the auto insurance premium would probably be cheaper.

Choosing a higher deductible is a proven way of saving money on your auto insurance premium. You may inquire about the auto insurance premiums for policies with lower and higher deductible. It may be worth it to pick the policy that has higher deductible but cheaper auto insurance premium, especially if you are a good driver. But in case you have already gotten into an accident, you may opt to take defensive driving course for you to have cheaper auto insurance premium. Completing a driver course could give you a discount on your auto insurance.

My friend here in Houston, Texas, occasionally borrows my car. Do you think I should add him under my car insurance policy?

Betty

Houston, TX

It is highly recommended that you do two things: add your friend under your auto insurance policy as an “occasional driver”, or have your friend get a Non-Owner’s insurance policy under his name. In any case, it would not be wise to allow your friend there in Houston (or anyone, for that matter) to drive your vehicle without adequate auto insurance coverage. Also, under the financial responsibility laws of Texas, anyone who drives a vehicle (not necessarily the owner alone) is responsible (and is required to) acquire appropriate financial coverage in the form of auto insurance. The purpose of this law is to make sure that anyone who causes injury or damage to others during a car accident is able to provide the necessary monetary compensation.

In case you’re wondering, a Non-Owners Auto Insurance usually only provides liability protection, meaning that it will only protect you or your friend from having to pay large sums of money when he caused a car accident while driving your vehicle. So if your vehicle is damaged or totaled, it will be under the discretion of your auto insurance provider whether to reimburse you or pay for repairs. Also make sure you have enough collision and comprehensive insurance coverage if you will have someone else you’re your vehicle. You don’t want to regret not taking these steps to protect you if your friend end’s up totaling your vehicle.

It’s my first time to buy car insurance of my own here in Houston, Texas and I need some help to get lower rates. What are the things that I can do to help me lessen the premiums that I would pay for my car insurance?

Lance

Houston, TX

A car insurance company considers a lot of issues to determine your car insurance rates in Houston, Texas. Some of these factors include your age, the state where you reside, your driving history, etc. Even though you couldn’t do so much on these things, that are still some ways to get lower rates on your car insurance. Here are some suggestions of the things that you could do to help you lessen your premiums:

–Get higher deductible.
–Do away with non-compulsory coverage such as rental car insurance, towing and labor, etc.
–Get rid of comprehensive and collision coverage if you have an older vehicle which is worth less than $1,000, especially if you can manage to pay for repairs if needed.
–Make sure that you could get all the discounts that you are entitled to such as discounts for safety features on your vehicle.
–Maintain an unblemished driving history to avoid being in the higher risk category of drivers.
–Keep away from purchasing a car that is more likely to be stolen or would cost too much to repair.
–Always keep in mind that it is very important to shop around for your car insurance coverage. Car insurance rates for the same coverage on the same vehicle could vary greatly among various insurance companies.

I was good enough to get my license here in Houston, Texas suspended and that kind of snow-balled into my car insurance getting canceled as well, what I’m wondering about is I’m told that I will need to maintain an SR-22 form, what is it?

Carla

Houston, TX

An SR-22 is a type of form guaranteeing the state of Texas that you are carrying adequate financial capability (in the form of car insurance coverage) in the event that you cause injury or damage to property resulting from a car accident. This is mandated by the financial responsibility laws of your state and yes, repeat traffic offenders or those at-fault on a vehicular accident will be required to maintain an SR-22 for at least two or three years.

Since your auto insurance got canceled you will need to find another insurance provider there in Houston that will file this form for you, and submit it to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). There may be some administrative fees involved aside from any penalties you may be required to pay to get your license (or a temporary license) back so you can drive again. A good auto insurance agent will be able to give you all the information you need and whatever steps you need to do to file an SR-22 quickly and hassle-free.

It is very important that you maintain continues coverage for the duration of your SR-22. Getting involved in another car accident or managing to get your driver’s license (and much worse, getting caught driving without insurance coverage or while your license is suspended) revoked will only result into significantly heavier fines and penalties and much higher insurance rates.

I’ve been looking around through the web to find the best car insurance for me and I already have a list of several insurance companies. What is the best way for me to choose the right company for my car insurance here in Houston, Texas?

Blake

Houston, TX

Aside from knowing how much auto insurance you need and finding a cheap policy, you have to make sure that the car insurance company in Houston, Texas that you go with is reliable. You need to have a good idea as how this company deals with their customers in terms of filing a claim. To find out for sure, you may visit the Website of Texas Department of Insurance. This Website could publish “consumer complaint ratios” of every insurance provider that sell policies in the state of Texas. Because of this ratio, you’d be able to have an idea as to how many complaints an auto insurance provider got per 1,000 claims filed.

Insurance experts suggest the customers use this complaint ratio to check insurance companies. Since you created a record of various insurers, make a note of the ones with the least complaint ratios. After that, you will see on both records the top insurers and have an advantage as the one that you will go with. In case you can’t find complaint ratios for Texas, an insurance expert suggests that you evaluate the complaint ratios of other states for the same insurance company. If this insurance company gets numerous complaints in various other states, you may not like to go with this company.

Hi, a friend recently got involved in a car crash here in Houston, Texas and although no one got hurt, the other party involved decided to file a lawsuit a month later claiming trauma. Which part of someone’s auto insurance protects you from these?

Gabriel

Houston, TX

Hello Gabriel. Getting sued for negligence and causing a car accident is a lot of people’s worst nightmare. Even if no one got hurt during the accident the trauma of the experience may set in much later and, combined with the litigious nature of our society, anyone who may have been involved in a car crash can choose to file a law suit against you. This is where the liability protection or coverage clause of your insurance policy comes in. Here’s a few recommendations on how to make sure your auto insurance protects you from paying a colossal (we really mean colossal) amount of money if you are at fault in a car accident.

Make sure you have adequate Liability insurance. For Houston, Texas then minimum liability insurance coverage amounts required by your state is 20/40/15. That means in the event you injure someone in a car crash, your insurance will award $20,000 worth of damages to each person injured up to a maximum of $40,000 for all injured people per accident. You will also have $15,000 to cover for property damages. That may sound a lot already but reality is, you can be sued for more than those minimum amounts and anything beyond your liability coverage you’ll have to pay yourself. It is highly recommended that you get as high of a liability coverage as you can comfortably afford.