College Station Car Insurance
All residents in College Station who own a vehicle registered in the state of Texas are required by law to prove that they are financially responsible before they can legally get behind the wheel. Financial responsibility must be established as part of the Texas Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act so that people who use their driving privilege in College Station, and all throughout Texas pay for the damages that they cause to others.
Enter your zip code in our FREE tool above to compare car insurance rates now!
If you are familiar with how you can establish financial responsibility in Texas, it is time to learn your options. Read this guide to College Station car insurance, and get valuable information that you can use as a consumer in Brazos County, Texas.
How to Establish Financial Responsibility in College Station
Financial responsibility can be established in more than just one way in the state of Texas. The main reason why all drivers need to prove that they are responsible for the damages that they cause is because Brazos County operates under what is called a tort system. This means that whenever an automobile accident happens, fault is determined and whoever is found to be at-fault must pay for the injuries and the property damage.
Defined as the ability to respond to the damages when you are liable for an accident, financial responsibility then becomes critical in Texas because it has a fault-based system like most other states.
There are three different ways that you can establish financial responsibility. Purchasing a minimum amount of liability car insurance from a licensed insurer in the state is the most common way to satisfy the vehicle code.
The next alternative is to file a surety bond with the department with two sureties who own property in the state. Vehicle owners also have the option to post a cash deposit with the Department of Motor Vehicles in the amount of $55,000 as a form of self-insurance.
Why do most College Station consumers choose to buy auto insurance?
Most drivers will choose to purchase auto liability insurance to satisfy the state's compulsory financial responsibility law. There are a variety of reasons why it can be beneficial to purchase insurance. One of the biggest benefits is that you can comply with the law without needing several thousand dollars to deposit or property to place a lien on.
Auto insurance offers you financial protection against loss that deposits and bonds do not
Another big benefit is that you are purchasing protection for pennies on the dollar. Instead of paying for the loss out-of-pocket, you can pass the burden of paying for damages to the insurer instead of having to pay for the damages yourself. When you have insurance, you know how much you will pay monthly to protect yourself from unpredictable losses that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.s
What type of coverage is required in College Station?
All drivers must carry liability insurance. Liability consists of both Bodily Injury coverage and Property Damage coverage. Both of these coverage options will pay a third-party when you are deemed negligent for an accident but they will not pay for the damages that you sustain. Here is a breakdown of what both Bodily Injury and Property Damage cover, and the amount of coverage that you must possess:
- Bodily Injury (BI)- Bodily Injury is a form of third-party liability coverage that will pay an injured party when you are at-fault for the injuries in an accident. Coverage will apply when you are driving, a listed driver, or a permissive user. The following limits are required to legally drive on College Station roadways: Bodily Injury: $30,000 per person, up to $60,000 per accident
- Property Damage (PD)- If vehicles are damaged in an accident that you cause, Property Damage will pay. Property Damage is also a form of liability coverage that is used in a fault-based system to pay for the damages that you cause to the property of others. The property could be vehicles, buildings, fences, belongings, and even street signs. Limits are established on a per accident basis. This is why it is crucial to select adequate limits. Currently, all drivers must carry: Property Damage: $25,000 per accident
One of the five biggest mistakes that consumers all throughout the state make when buying insurance is purchasing only the coverage that is legally required. In today's litigious society where the rates of lawsuits for auto accident damage is on the rise, having protection is important. Most agents recommend that drivers carry no less than
Most agents recommend that drivers carry no less than $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident in liability. Consider your budget and make a reasonable choice based on what you can afford and what you need.
What happens if you drive in College Station without insurance?
The state of Texas takes financial responsibility laws very seriously, and judges are buckling down on the penalties when someone is convicted of driving without insurance. If you are pulled over and cited for driving without insurance, you must appear in court and plead your case or provide proof of insurance. If you did not have active coverage at the time, you may be fined or penalized in one of the following ways:
- A fine of $175 to $350 for the first offense
- A fine of $350 to $1000 for additional offenses
- Suspension of driver license up to 2 years
- Vehicle impoundment
- Fine of $4000 if you are involved in accident with injuries
- Between 180 days and 1 year in jail
- Reinstatement fee for license
- Requirement to file an SR-22 for 3 years
What is vehicle insurance verification and how can it affect you?
Many people in the state of Texas assume that the only way that they will be fined or penalized for driving without insurance is if they are involved in an accident or pulled over by law enforcement. While these are common ways of being cited, you can be penalized without breaking any other traffic laws. Texas has an electronic vehicle insurance verification system that was developed to reduce the number of uninsured drivers on the road, and the system has definitely helped reduce these rates.
The verification system requires all insurance providers in the state to notify the Motor Vehicle department when a policy is purchased, canceled or does not renew.
This system is updated on a daily basis, and when a cancellation is reported the department will ask the owner to provide proof of coverage. If you cannot do so, your license plates will be suspended. You must then reinstate them by paying a fine and showing your proof of coverage. Nowadays, you cannot disobey the law without getting caught.
How to Save Money on Insurance in College Station
If you are shopping for coverage, you need to shop around so that you can find the best rates with the best provider. Never go with the first quote that you receive if you are a budget-conscious consumer searching for the best deals.
If your goal is to save money, the number way to keep the premiums down is to comparison shop by requesting identical quotes with more than one insurer licensed in Texas. In addition to doing this, here are some tips to lower your premiums:
- Insure all of the vehicles in the household with the same insurer to receive the multi-car discount most insurers offer.
- Purchase another line of insurance to receive a multi-line discount off of your auto insurance and the other insurance policy. Savings will add up and servicing your policy will be more convenient.
- Keep a clean driving record.
- Take a voluntary driver education course approved by your insurer if you are inexperienced or elderly.
- Purchase higher deductibles to lower the premium for your physical damage coverage.
- Purchase an anti-theft device to receive deterrent discounts.
- Exclude a driver in the household who has their own insurance and does not driver your vehicle.
- Take advantage of Good Student Discounts or Student Away from the Home if you qualify.
- Be sure to buy a safe car with a good safety record and claims rating if you are in the process of buying a new one.
- Keep your annual mileage as low as possible to avoid high mileage ratings.
- Commute to work in your safest and lowest cost car to keep usage rates down.
Finding the Best Rates
If you want to find the company that offers the best rates to residents in College Station in your demographic, the first step is to use an online rate comparison tool. These advanced tools will give you access to the rates through the top-rated insurers in your zip code.
Enter your zip code in our FREE tool below to compare car insurance rates instantly!
You will need to enter your information, select the coverage limits and types that you want, and then you can proceed. When the quotes are displayed, scour through the options and narrow down the selections.