SR-22 insurance, sometimes called “financial responsibility insurance,” is a state program to reduce the number of uninsured drivers on the road by requiring SR-22 certificates from drivers who have repeatedly violated mandatory insurance laws. SR-22 laws and processes vary from state to state, but in Illinois anyone who has three insurance violations (i.e. ticketed for driving without insurance) can be required to carry SR-22 insurance.

The SR-22 insurance itself is a certificate that is kept on file with the state, rather than just between you and the insurance company like your typical insurance would be documented. An insurance company who is authorized to write SR-22 policies will set up your auto insurance and accept your premium payments, but will then send your SR-22 certificate directly to your state’s motor vehicle division (or the office of the Secretary of State in Illinois). The certificate will show that you are maintaining at least the state minimum coverage on your auto insurance.

Typical insurance coverage can be started or renewed instantly, but SR-22 insurance requires a little more work on your part. It must be renewed early to avoid suspension of your driving privileges. Since you carry this special insurance because you do not have a good track record with maintaining coverage, the state will start to suspend your privileges once your expiration date is fifteen days away. Renewing early is important since your insurance paperwork, including the renewed certificate, must be received and processed by the appropriate office of the state — and we all know that takes time!

Anyone who requires SR-22 must cover all the vehicles they own as well as all the vehicles they drive with this insurance. You can be insured as only owner, if you don’t plan to drive the car; as only operator, if you drive your parents’ or someone else’s car; or you can be insured as both owner and operator of your own car. These three options may change the cost of your SR-22 insurance.

If you have been required by the state to carry SR-22 insurance, the only way out of this predicament is to have a bond for at least $55,000 (varies by state) showing you have the cash to pay for an accident. There are some special circumstances where drivers go this route. But since you lapsed on your coverage in the first place, it is not likely that you have the funds to buy a bond.

You must keep your SR-22 insurance current for the length of the penalty term you were given. Minor infractions can disappear from your record in as little as three years, but major violations such as a DUI can cause you to carry SR-22 for ten years or more, and may never disappear from your driving record.

The best way to prevent having to deal with the expense, inconvenience, and future fallout from carrying SR-22 insurance is to keep your insurance current and avoid criminal driving infractions such as DUIs.

This information has been brought to you by Accurate Auto Insurance, offering affordable Illinois auto insurance and SR-22 coverage.

The first thing to do is make sure everyone is safe.  Before you start asking for information or laying blame on anyone, you must assess the situation and call 9-1-1 if anyone is injured.  In most accidents, the cars will be more damaged than the drivers and passengers.  Once you and the other driver have determined that this is the case with your own fender bender, use the following checklist:

What to do in a minor accident:

1. Move off the road to a place you agree upon (i.e. the shoulder or the nearest parking lot).  If your car is drivable and conditions are safe, you should clear the lane for traffic.  Note the license plate number of the other car before you move (in case he decides to keep moving!).  If moving the vehicles is impossible or unsafe, use your four-way flashers and any flares you may have to prevent other cars from hitting the disabled vehicles.
2. Exit your vehicle and get the other driver’s contact information.
3. Write down the other driver’s vehicle information and a description of the visible damage to the vehicles.
4. Write down any conditions that may have affected the accident, such as fog, heavy rain, road construction, etc.
5. Most important to your information gathering is the other driver’s insurance and license information.  Write this down, including his or her policy number.  If it is determined that you are not responsible for the accident, you will need this information.
6. If there is contention about what went on in the accident, or if someone was in obvious violation of the law and this led to the accident, call the police to submit a report.  No matter who decides the police need to be called, the other driver must remain on the scene until they show up.
7. If you have a camera or cell phone with you, take photos of the damage, skid marks, and other “evidence” at the scene.
8. Do not admit fault.  Your insurance representatives will review your information, the vehicle damage, and any police reports to determine who is at fault.
9. When you get home, call your insurance agent to make a claim.  He or she will walk you through the claims process.

Some rules for the road:

• Keep a notepad in your car – otherwise you will have no way to record any accident information!
• Never leave the scene of an accident without gathering the required information for processing a claim.  If you hit a car you will almost certainly be frightened, but leaving the scene will only make things worse for you in the end.
• Be honest with your insurance agent.  To do otherwise may cause delays in the payment of your claim.

This information is brought to you courtesy of Accurate Auto Insurance, leaders in low-cost Chicago and Illinois auto insurance.

1.   State Law — It’s what your mom and dad will tell you, but we have to say it too:  It’s the law!  The number one reason (in the eyes of the state) you must have car insurance is that it is a requirement for even having a vehicle registered in most states.  States require car insurance to minimize the overall impact of property damage costs and to reduce the likelihood of huge accident-related medical bills going unpaid.  Insurance companies step up to absorb these costs in the event that damage or injury does occur – they are able to do so because you pay your premiums.

If you are unconvinced that you need to do something just because the law requires it, think about the true financial costs of breaking the law – if you get a ticket for not carrying insurance, that is a couple hundred dollars lost.  That money could have paid for part of your premium.  If you get another ticket, you could lose your license and even have your vehicle impounded.  The costs of paying tickets, regaining your license, and getting your car out of impound will definitely amount to far more than paying a year’s insurance premium.  Not to mention, the time lost at work because of not having a car could create even more financial woes and familial inconveniences.

2.    Financial Ruin — Besides obeying the insurance laws (because that’s what’s best for everyone!) another reason to carry insurance is because of the great possibility of actually getting into an accident!  Who can afford the costs of an accident?  Most individuals cannot.  Whether you care about your own car or not, you could still hit a Mercedes, or worse yet you could hit a car full of children.  And no matter what you may think, you have no control over this!  Insurance insures that you will be financially prepared to fix that Mercedes, to pay those children’s medical bills, and have someone on your side in case of a lawsuit — whether you have any intention of fixing your own car or not.

In fact, you can even carry lower cost insurance called “liability” (sometimes referred to as “liability only”) which only covers damages to other cars and drivers for which you are liable.  It does not repair your car, but it keeps you from being financially ruined.  (In the case of either accident mentioned above, without insurance you would surely be financially ruined, and probably sued as well.)  If you have an older car that you own outright, ask your insurance company about going to liability only on this car.  If this saves you money, perhaps you will not have so much trouble making a basic premium payment.

3.    Protecting your Investment — A final reason (though there are probably more…) to keep insurance on your car is to protect your investment.  Cars are probably the second most expensive thing we buy, next to homes, and they are in much more danger of getting damaged since they are, unlike our houses, always moving about!  If you do have a newer car or a nicer car, you should probably continue to carry liability and collision coverage on your vehicle.  Collision costs a little more than liability only, but it will guarantee that you can fix your car no matter what happens to it in an accident.  You will protect yourself from the burden of paying for damages to others’ property, but you will also protect yourself from losing money on a car you love, or a car you just bought.  (In fact, most banks will require that you have collision coverage, in order to make sure you can pay back the loan no matter what happens to the car.)  If you are not ready to pay for collision coverage on your automobiles, you should not be in the market for a new car.  One accident would turn your investment into a huge loss.

If you have questions about what level of coverage is right for you, and how to save money while keeping at least your state’s minimum coverage, contact your insurance company.  By adjusting coverage levels, raising your deductible, or applying certain discounts you may be able to find a rate that works for you.  If you can’t, you must apply to the state for help, or you must simply stay off the road.

The information in this article is brought to you courtesy of Accurate Auto Insurance where Chicago auto insurance is available at the lowest rates for all drivers.

Based on annual statistics, it seems that men are involved in more accidents than women. However, annual reporting does not take into account the fact that men drive more miles than women, on average, and are therefore “exposed” to traffic situations more often. In fact, when the statistics are reevaluated on an accident per mile basis, adult men and women come out nearly even! If that’s the case, why do insurance companies often charge men more money for the same coverage?

The answer is twofold. First, the risks associated with male teen driving are among the highest of any group. The insurance companies’ bias against teen drivers may continue unfairly into adulthood. After age 25 a marked decrease in men’s accidents begins. But not all insurance companies recognize this, especially if other factors in the driver’s record (previous accidents, ownership of a sports car) show a consistent pattern of poor driving. Regardless of whether a man’s risks go down when he hits that magic number 25, the fact still remains that he and his former teen peers were a group that has been proven more reckless, fast, and oblivious to the law than the average driver. Interestingly, female teen accidents have been on the rise. This is partially because of earlier licensing for girls (traditionally they would wait until they were married or got a job after high school) , but it is also possible that increased cell phone use, especially texting, has lead to a higher incidence of fatal crashes for young women. Because of these trends, male and female teens may soon be paying equal rates.

The second factor in men’s higher insurance rates is a persistently high incidence of fatal or otherwise catastrophic accidents. As mentioned above, men and women over 25 have nearly the same accident rate. But they do not get involved in the same types of accidents! Men of any age group are far more likely to be driving while intoxicated, to speed, to drive recklessly, and to flout the law. They also tend to drive cars that give them the psychological boost to commit these violations more often, perhaps, than if they were piloting the family station wagon around town. Moreover, the men of the house are not usually hauling precious cargo – the children – as often as women. All these factors mean that while women, bad drivers as some of us think they are, have a high incidence of fender benders in traffic, parking lot dings and other minor accidents, men are far more likely to be involved in an accident that kills a person, or causes major damage to property. This might not happen to every man, but the expense of covering such accidents must be recouped in the form of higher premiums for all men. In fact, women’s “accidents” are sometimes so small they go unreported, which skews the statistics; but they are also not costing the insurance company a dime. Men’s accidents more often result in some kind of claim against their insurance, raising their rates even higher.

It is unfortunate that men have to bear the burden of higher insurance rates, but each individual situation is unique. A man over 25 with a clean driving record (and no hot cars in the garage!) really can get a good deal on insurance. As more and more women hit the road, take up careers that require long commutes, and share the responsibility of shuttling kids with their husbands, accident rates will continue to even out, as will miles driven. Someday men and women may pay an even rate across the board. But until the DUI reports and crash photos of Camaros wrapped around trees stop pouring in, men will have to bear their gender’s burden of higher insurance rates.

This information brought to you courtesy of Accurate Auto Insurance, where Chicago auto insurance is available at the lowest rates for all drivers, regardless of gender!

When using an online website from the insurance company you have chosen, it will only take a matter of minutes to sign up for coverage. You have to answer a few questions about the vehicle and people being covered in order to determine the coverage that is needed. You can then print out your insurance cards and be a covered driver within minutes.