Your State's Accident Rate Can Lead to Your Higher Premiums

We live in a culture that demands quick and rapid response times, is it any wonder then that our driving habits also reflect that fast paced lifestyle. We are often in too much have a hurry to really have regards for road conditions, posted speed limits or other even drivers.

The state of Maryland along with Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia has initiated a program called the Smooth Operator Program aimed at combating aggressive drivers in the region. It gathers together Law Enforcement, Trauma Specialist, Government Official and other professionals to educate the public about the dangers of aggressive driving. For the past eight years the Smooth Operator Program has worked to provide education, information and solutions for the problem of aggressive driving. The plan calls for stepped up patrols, public education, research and evaluation of current campaigns and the engineering of roadways to cut down on aggressive driving.

Aggressive driving is defined by a combination of driving offenses committed by the unsafe driver, putting other people and property at risk. Aggressive driving can be classified into a number of dangerous behaviors.

Speeding Tailgating Running redlights and stop signs Improper passing Weaving in and out of lanes

Research has shown that its tendencies are spread out equally among car, SUV and motorcycles. Aggressive driving plays a major part in the crashes, injuries and fatalities we experience on our roads. It is estimated that 1,000 deaths a year can be attributed to aggressive driving that's about 3 highway deaths per day across the four jurisdictions where the Smooth Operator program is being conducted.

Aggressive driving has many causes, frustration, impatience and anger are a few. The sources of those emotions may include the following:

Crowded roads and highways Drivers with too much to do and little time Traffic tie-ups and roadwork Stress from work or home Drivers driving too slow Other drivers not being aware or distracted

Aggressive driving is contagious when you react to situations in an angry aggressive manner, you cause other drivers around you to follow suit. Unsafe behavior can have a domino effect, passing from one car to another down the road.

When you feel yourself becoming anxious or angry, don't let it lead to aggressive driving. Calm yourself and allow yourself a moment to understand that this is a temporary situation which will soon change, so be patient. Don't allow yourself to become angry at other drivers, it will not change their driving behavior, but it may change yours, and probably not for the better.

Ways to avoid being an aggressive driver:

Allow for more time to travel Come to a full stop at red lights and stop signs Let others merge with you Obey posted speed limits Don't tailgate Resist the urge to teach someone a lesson Concentrate on driving Don't stress over traffic of which you have no control

Aggressive driving cost us all money in terms of higher auto insurance premiums. Insurance companies use the accident statistics from your geographical area to determine you auto insurance rates. The higher the accident rate the higher the premium. Generally speaking drivers in low congested areas like rural areas pay less for auto insurance than those living in highly congested urban areas. If you are paying for auto insurance in Maryland keep your cool and help fight to stop aggressive drivers, you can start with yourself.

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What Influences Your Car Insurance Premiums?

It is a given fact that knowing the details is certainly advantageous for individuals who are entering into different types of transactions. This is also the case when it comes to car insurance. Since the amount of premiums significantly affect the cash flows of policyholders, identifying the factors that affect car insurance premiums is absolutely useful in decision making.

Car insurance premiums are affected by inherent characteristics that policyholders cannot totally adjust according to their preferences. This includes the age, gender and marital status of the policyholders. Insurance companies maintain varying premium differentials that are appropriate to these groups according to various studies that were conducted. As per the age factor, drivers who are younger than twenty five years old and above sixty years old are revealed to be more susceptible to vehicular accidents. As a result, insurance premium rates for individuals in these age groups are typically higher.

When it comes to gender, women are considered to be statistically careful drivers compared to men. This is the reason why female policyholders shell out less premium expense compared to the male ones. Individuals who are married also are given lower premium quotes as compared to single individuals.

There are also factors that are entirely controllable and can be the result of the actions and decisions of the policyholders. This includes the type of vehicle, driving style and record, credit rating, professional responsibilities, profession, mileage counts and car safety features.

Insurance companies tend to increase the premium rates for high-end automobiles that are categorized as high-performance, sports cars, rear-engine models and intermediate performance. It can be formulated that more expensive cars commands higher insurance premiums. This is due to the fact that these car types have more expensive spare parts and is more susceptible to theft.

Driving styles and record also play an important role in car insurance premiums. Insurance companies investigate and examine the driving profiles of their policyholders in order to correspond with the insurance premium offers. People who have traffic violations and accidents in their driving records tend to have higher premiums. Credit rating also has an impact to the amount of car insurance premiums. Insurance assumes that individuals who do not possess good credit rating are financially negligent and this can be manifested in their driving style as well.

The profession of the policyholder also has an effect in the insurance premium rate. Statistically, there has been an observed correlation between risk and occupation of policyholders. If the occupation requires long distance travel or travel in accident-prone locations, the premium rate charges are higher. Premium rates are cheaper for policyholders who work in the office or urban institutions.

Low annual miles driven by the policyholders also reduce the probability of being in a vehicular collision which in turn, results to lower premiums. Vehicles which are intended for business purposes also have lower insurance rates as compared to vehicles that are operated for commuting purposes.

Lastly, car features can also have influence in the rate of the insurance premiums. A vehicle which has safety features and theft prevention gadgets installed in it also cuts the insurance premiums. These features include airbags, anti-lock brakes, chassis quality, tracking devices and burglar alarms.

Helpful Tips for Anyone Seeking Auto Insurance Coverage   California Auto Insurance Permissive Use Restrictions   Is Gap Insurance the Root of All Evil?   How to Stay Away From Swindlers While You Are Looking For Auto Insurance Quotes   Different Types of Van Insurance