Not everyone has a great driving record but that doesn’t mean anyone should automatically be prohibited from driving. Everyone makes mistakes and while those of us with good driving records and credit scores will continue to enjoy lower automobile insurance rates those of us who have had some problems will likely have to find high risk car insurance in Missouri.
There are several reasons why a driver might need to purchase high risk car insurance in Missouri. These include your insurance history, your credit rating, and your driving record.
The first and most important thing a car insurance carrier will look at is your driving record. They’re going to look at your motor vehicle report to determine how many violations you’ve had as well as the severity of each. They’ll also obtain records that show how many accidents you’ve been involved in and how much your past insurance company had to pay to other parties (if you were at fault).
Insurance companies today also look at the credit rating of those applying for coverage. The higher your credit score the more responsible they consider you. Most automobile insurance carriers believe that the more responsible you are when it comes to paying your bills the better you will be as a driver.
Finally, the insurance company will look at your insurance history –usually for the past three years. If you’ve had a lapse in coverage they’ll want to know if it was because you didn’t pay your past premium (and thus drove without coverage) or if it was because you simply didn’t have a car to drive. Those who go a considerable amount of time without coverage may need to purchase high risk car insurance in Missouri before being able to get coverage through a standard carrier.
While the need for high risk car insurance in Missouri automatically means you’ll be paying higher premium rates, there are a few things you can do to potentially lower the cost of coverage until you can go back to a standard market. These include:
High risk car insurance in Missouri is expensive – and it’s just as expensive in every other state as well. Do your best to repair your credit score and to prevent your driving record from deteriorating and you’ll be out of the high risk market before you know it.