Obtaining and keeping current on liability auto coverage is required by law in order to drive in all 50 states. The decision to drive while not insured can cost you heavy fines, loss of your license and even jail time in some states. Liability insurance doesn’t just protect cars, it protects people from financial pitfalls and legal consequences. Driving without it is a huge risk that you don’t want to take.
If you are pulled over for any offence and cannot show proof of insurance, you are going to receive a ticket at best and face arrest at the worse case scenario. If you are in an automobile accident without insurance then your problems are even greater. If you are found at fault for the accident you are required to pay the damages. A few years ago the average medical damages from a single accident were $15,443 and the average property damage from a single accident was as much as $3,231. If you cannot pay then you face possible jail time or garnished wages.
Even if you are not found at fault for the accident, not carrying insurance will greatly affect the outcome of the accident as you lose the right to sue for damages and cannot make any claims for damage or lost wages. The risks of driving uninsured far outweigh the cost of insurance premiums. Failure to obtain insurance or keep current on payments are just two ways you can lose the benefits of auto insurance. Your policy is a contract and not adhering to the rules can also constitute lack of proper coverage. This can include things such as:
- Buying a new car and not notifying your provider.
- Selling a car and not notifying your provider.
- Failure to add a new teen driver to your policy.
- Failure to add drivers who might borrow your car to the policy.
- Moving out of state or allowing car to be used by out of state college student without notifying your provider.
- Any other violation of the contract between you and your auto insurance provider.
To be safe, read your policy closely and follow all the rules, pay your premiums on time, pre-pay or use auto draft protections to prevent a lapse in coverage and always notify your insurance company of any changes to automobiles, drivers, or states of residence.
The Importance of Keeping Your Auto Policy
Getting caught without an insurance can cause various financial and social perils. Most of the time people do not take their insurance policies seriously and are caught with either an expired policy or suspended insurance. State police generally take extensive measures for ensuring that all the citizens are abiding by the law. These measures include checking prior traffic data of people or setting up custom checkpoints for verification. If a person is found, who has been breaking the law frequently, he/she is responsible for the upcoming fines or any other form of judgment.
If your record shows that you have been continuously breaking the law, you can even be sentenced for jail time according to the degree of your conducts.
If you are found to be guilty of driving without an insurance while being convicted of causing any type of accident you may be facing at least $250 fine or even a jail time for at least 15 days. Your driving rights would be snatched and the vehicle will be impounded. It varies from state to state.
For revoking your banned permit, you'll have to pay around $300 in DPS office. Furthermore, you are only given your driving license back if you pass the eligibility test and clear all your fines.
Getting caught at a checkpoint is even worse. If you are cited driving without a valid insurance policy and happen to be blocked at a checkpoint then get ready because this is a perfect recipe for spelling trouble in your life. The first thing that the officer would ask will be to show your vehicle insurance and then your driver’s license. Not having any of these will cause an immediate confiscation of your vehicle and even arrest. Your driving license may get suspended and you may get charged a huge penalty.
If the officer finds your insurance policy to be expired, then you will be fined and even have your driver’s license suspended with multiple offenses, you would be charged about $250. This is a general routine for states like Oklahoma and Texas.
If find yourself needing to get back on the road, then you'll have to get car insurance. We offer polices for your circumstance at affordable rates. Whether you don't have a driver’s license or you may have a driving record with several points we can still get you an affordable rate. You can get non-owners insurance which is often times needed in the event your vehicle is impounded for the above mention scenarios. Also just simple liability insurance may be needed to get your driver’s license back.
Getting caught without insurance does not end with just penalties, terminations and suspensions. Your driving record also gets affected by your carelessness. Re-applying for an insurance policy in future can get ugly if your driving record shows a faulted history. Most insurance companies reject buyers who have had a number of traffic incidents; they would consider you a high-risk driver and would turn you down from getting their policies. But we offer policies for anyone! Get a quote with us today no matter your driving record!
There is no shortcut for maintaining a good driving record. All you can do is to abide by the laws and follow them religiously, this makes getting an insurance policy for your vehicle, a bit easier.
Staying Safe While Behind the Wheel
Driving could be quite tiring especially for a long road trip. As much as you want to focus on the road, there are times when your eyes shut down for a minute because of fatigue. But with that minute of rest, anything could happen. Your safety is very important when you are driving.
To combat drowsiness while driving, here are some valuable tips to get you going.
Pre-drive Nap
A short nap before a long road trip could go a long way. It will help you be active throughout the driving session.
Caffeinated drinks
One of the best ways to stay awake during the entire trip is to drink caffeinated drinks. Coffee and energy drinks are your best companions to increase your energy and metabolism.
Road Games
Road games could be a very exciting way to keep up with your alertness. Keep yourself busy like naming every song in the radio or trying to count all states you’ve passed. Crack anything under the sun to avoid losing the road battle.
Quick Rest
If you think you really need to take a short nap, don’t hesitate to have one. Forcing your body to drive in spite of your drowsiness may be very dangerous. Pull over and take a quick nap to keep you energized for the remaining travel.
Easy Snacks
Munch in some easy snacks while driving. Keeping your tummy happy is also keeping your eyes lively. When you don’t get the enough amount of food, you’d be more tired. Eating sunflower seeds is also an exciting way to keep you awake with the constant cracking and chomping of seeds.
Music Jam
Enjoy a long haul ride with some good music. Music is truly a nice technique to maintain your attentiveness. Download your favorite tracks and sing your heart out while you take a long drive. It doesn’t matter who is listening. As long as you’d be able to keep up with your song and it keeps you wide awake for the whole travel duration, why not?
Buddy System
It is always advisable to drive with a partner. Through this method, you can fully take a rest while the other is driving. A good conversationalist while taking a dreadful long trip is certainly a mental and emotional lifesaver.
Radio Station
Listening to a radio station would keep you alive especially during the wee hours. Radio provides you with different ways to spice up your trip, from mellow love songs to hot political issues. It will surely keep you conscious on times of boring and tiring drive.
Anti-Drowse Apps
If you are in the verge of losing consciousness, technology can now keep you awake. There are apps such as IOS Anti Drowse, Anti Sleep Driver, Driver Alarm, etc. where you can download to stimulate your consciousness.
A Breath of Fresh Air
Sometimes, fake air could be suffocating. Roll down the car window and breathe some fresh air. A little bit of natural air and sun ray can make you more alive and happy.
Distracted Driving
The most unfortunate consequence of drowsy driving is accident. Don’t take the road without sleep and auto insurance.
We all know how cell phones and technology has changed the future. There is no debate about that. But how does this effect the roads we drive on? Does technology truly help us on the road or does is turn us into distracted drivers? Lets discuss a few topics on how it effects us and how we can be better drivers and not get distracted. And maybe by the end of this article you can even pledge not to be a distracted driver!
So what exactly is distracted driving? The definition of Distracted Driving, brought to you by Google, says it is the practice of driving a motor vehicle while engaged in another activity, typically one that involves the use of a cellular phone or other electronic device.
Here are some forms of Distracted Driving:
- Texting
- Turning the radio or changing a song on your phone
- Grooming or doing makeup
- Talking on the phone
- Using a cell phone
- Using a GPS or navigation system
- Eating and drinking
- Talking to passengers
- Reading
Lets take a look at some of the numbers and see what’s been going on
At any given moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010 and may be increasing (NOPUS). In 2014, 3,179 people were killed, and 431,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers (distraction.gov).
So what are some of the thing we can do to stop distracted driving?
We can simply stop using the devices that cause such damage and heartache. This can be a hard as we are so attached to our phones, but it can be easy to not use these electronic devices knowing you may be saving lives at the same time. Distraction.gov even has an online pledge to stop using devices. Here is the pledge below.
I pledge to:
Protect lives by never texting or talking on the phone while driving.
Be a good passenger and speak out if the driver in my car is distracted.
Encourage my friends and family to drive phone-free.
DUI's in Oklahoma
The state of Oklahoma requires all vehicle drivers to have adequate auto insurance coverage in order to protect themselves, their property and the people that might be injured during an accident. Despite some up front costs, auto insurance is in place to keep you from major financial losses and gives peace of mind for possible future expenses on car repair, car rental, medical bills and many others. Thankfully, people in Oklahoma can save a great deal on their auto insurance.
Despite the low insurance premiums of Oklahoma, some drivers are still not carrying any of type of auto insurance policy. Driving without insurance is illegal and police officers can identify these people through routine traffic checks. Failure to present a proof of auto insurance will allow the police officer to issue a traffic ticket and suspend the auto registration as well as the driver’s license. In most instances, drivers who have an Oklahoma DUI can also face major charges for such incidents.
What Happens When you are Involved in an Auto Accident?
Having violations on your record can significantly impact your insurance rates negatively but what happens to your insurance when you are involved in an accident?
If you're involved in an auto accident, you might be facing some uncertainty. Will your insurer cancel your policy? Or might they raise your rates?
Don't worry. Many times, you still have protection. Here's a look at what you can expect along the way.
Do Rates Increase After A Car Accident?
Let's say the wreck was your first accident. Your vehicle does not have a lot of damage, and you did not do a lot of damage to the other party. Will your rates go up? Many times, auto insurance companies will adjust rates depending on the situation itself. It's important to know when your rates can jump significantly and when they are not likely to increase all that much.
- Minor Damage: In situations where the damage is minor, your auto insurance company is not likely to increase your rates drastically. Most often, insurance companies expect their clients to see at least a few claims during their lifetime. Minor claims might only cause a small rate increase.
- A Big Accident: Let's say that your claim is very high. Perhaps you struck a deer and have a vehicle the insurance company plans to total. Or, perhaps you caused a wreck because you were driving drunk. In cases like these, your rates may rise significantly. This is the case because your insurer now has to pay for your repairs or a replacement vehicle. Furthermore, the accident — such as the DUI — might clearly signify that you are a high risk to insure, and the insurer will have to cover their cost risks.
- No Major Accidents: Perhaps you are a driver with a long history of safe driving. You do not have a lot of claims or any major moving violations on your account. This is a good indication that your agent is not going to drastically increase rates (again, this will depend on the situation). If you've had no claims at all during your last policy period, you will likely see no increase at all.
When Will Rates Go Up?
Every auto insurance company provides information about factors that can increase premiums as well as lead to the company dropping your coverage. Most often, this includes repeated claims or reckless driving claims. And, many policies are not likely to raise your costs in the middle of your policy. If rates are likely to increase, they may happen when you renew your policy down the road.
New to Cheapest Auto Insurance?
Whether you have a poor driving record with accidents and tickets or your driving record is in great condition we are ready to help you! We have our insurance professionals who are ready to assist you in finding the right insurance policy for your needs! Call us at 918-744-5145 or for a quote online click here!