Cheap Auto Insurance In Florida
Finding cheap auto insurance in Florida is a matter of shopping one of the many comparison websites that give you several free quotes, and all you have to do is give them your zip code. It’s the easiest way to find cheap auto insurance in Florida but if you like, you can call every car insurance company in the phone book and ask each one for a quote. Going online is a much better plan.
There’s no point in paying more for auto insurance than you have to. Car insurance is going to need to do the same thing for you no matter who is insuring you. When your have a car accident, you will want your medical bills paid and your automobile fixed. If your coverage does that, you might as well be paying the lowest price you can find.
Florida Is a No-Fault State
Florida is a no-fault state, so the auto insurance will be slightly different from most of the other states in the country. People are required to purchase Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance that will cover any medical expenses due to a car collision. You will also need to purchase Property Damage Liability coverage because property damage doesn’t fall under Florida’s no-fault laws. Even thought it’s a no-fault state, people are still required to purchase some Bodily Injury Liability coverage for third party injuries.
Driving without Auto Insurance
The country is facing a recession, and one way that people are cutting their expenses is to stop paying for their auto insurance. A better idea is to seek cheap auto insurance in Florida because being caught driving without auto insurance subjects you to losing your license, registration and license plates until you demonstrate that you have purchased insurance; these suspensions can last for at least three years.
Whenever you are stopped on suspicion of a moving violation, the officer will be required to ask you for your proof of insurance. If you can’t provide it, then the penalties listed above will apply and it will be costly to have everything returned to you. The fine for reinstating your license can be anywhere from $150 to $500.
The Cost of Insurance after a Lapsed Policy
After you have let your policy lapse, you won’t just to lose your driving privilege for a while and pay fines to reinstate your license. You will have to be able to prove that you have purchased insurance before you can drive again legally. The auto insurance company you go to for insurance will consider you to be a high risk because you let your insurance policy lapse. Driving without insurance opens you up to all kinds of risks, and people who take risks aren’t the ones that car insurance companies charge the lowest rates. So, saving money on your insurance by cutting it out altogether actually ends up costing more money in the long run.
Auto Collisions
Another reason that driving without insurance isn’t a good idea is because you might cause an accident. It’s true that it doesn’t matter who caused the accident in Florida, but this only applies to bodily injuries. If you caused the accident, you will still be held liable for the damages you cause to the other driver’s car and you will have to pay to fix it. If you don’t have liability coverage, you will be paying out-of-pocket.
If you don’t cause the accident but someone hits you, car insurance is still going to be necessary. You might have medical bills that your health insurance doesn’t completely cover, and you will need PIP insurance to take over. You could also be hit by a hit-and-run driver or an uninsured or under-insured motorist. These are all people who aren’t necessarily going to be able to pay for your damages.
The money that you save by letting your auto insurance go isn’t worth the money it could cost you later if you are caught driving without insurance or you are involved in an accident. The wisest idea is to seek cheap auto insurance in Florida through comparison shopping where you will receive several quotes for the coverage that you need.