Doing It Right...Getting It Wrong

To Swerve and Protect

If you swerve to miss a car, kid, or animal, you're a hero. But what if you hit a tree instead?

When you report the accident, your insurance company will consider it to be your fault, and your rate will increase for 6 years.

In my view by swerving you "did it right", but your insurance rate will say otherwise. I suppose too many insurance companies have been told, "I swerved to miss a squirrel and hit a tree", hoping they would not suffer a hike in their insurance rate.

Be careful of driving distractions. You may be ready for Canadian Idol, but your car isn't an audition studio and you may be in for a "big hit" with your insurance rate.

Here are the top songs distracting drivers and creating the "smash hits" on the road according to Driving.ca.

A safer alternative is to enjoy some listening pleasure while driving. Here's an easy way to compare cars and check out which ones have the best sound systems.

Weather & Road Conditions

If the weather caused you to crash your car, the blame is still yours. Whether the sun blinded you or a pothole caused the crash, it doesn't matter. Whatever happens as a result of the weather or road conditions, your insurance company will still consider it to be your fault and your rates will be high for 6 years.

Their rationale is that you're always to be in control of your vehicle regardless of the weather or road conditions.

You can always try to fight an at-fault ruling handed down by your insurance adjuster by speaking to the insurance company's ombudsman. Another alternative is through an insurance mediator. There is a General Insurance Ombudservice at www.giocanada.org. You can call Glen Williamson, the Executive Director at 877 225-0446.

Your secret weapon is always to compare insurance company rates. To find the insurance company with the best rate for you, click here.

Lending Your Car

If a friend needs to borrow your car, you'll lend it to them, because that's the "right thing to do". Here's when it turns out to be the "wrong thing."

When you lend you car, you are actually lending your insurance. If they have an accident, it will go on your record and your rate will increase for 6 years. If the accident was not your friend's fault, your insurance rate will not go up.

If they get a speeding ticket, it's their responsibility, but any parking tickets will be yours.

Don't Wait For A Better Rate

To see if your insurance rate is going to decrease, the "right thing to do" is to wait for your renewal. That's wrong.

Protect your pocket book by doing a mid-term insurance rate check, particularly if you have tickets or accidents about to fall off your record. Tickets fall off your record 3 years from the date the court convicted you. Not the date you were ticketed. Accidents generally stop affecting your insurance rate after 6 years. To find out what you should be paying, compared to what you're paying right now, click here.

Parents Watch Out

You're right to make sure your child is properly insured. But you're wrong to blindly accept which vehicle the insurance company has rated them on. To save on the cost of your insurance make sure your child drives your least expensive vehicle. This can save you thousands of dollars. To check for the lowest insurance rate, click here.

If your insurance company, agent or broker insists on insuring your child on your most expensive vehicle, you can request an "Excluded Driver Endorsement" to confirm that they don't drive that car.

Regardless of whether your child is named on your insurance policy they are automatically covered if they have a valid driver's licence, unless of course they're excluded by this endorsement.

Removing Collision Or Comprehensive Coverage

Trying to lower your insurance rate is "doing it right", but you're "getting it wrong" if you take off your coverage without considering your worst case scenario.

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If you remove your collision or comprehensive coverage, do the math. Can you afford to replace your car right now?

What if some maniac driver runs you off the road and you smash into a guardrail or your car gets stolen? Comprehensive coverage covers you for fire, theft, vandalism and windshield damage.

Increase your deductible, it will help cut the cost. To check out if you can get a lower rate by increasing your deductibles, click here.

Don't Pay For Your Car insurance

Buying a car and getting up to $3,000 for your car insurance is "doing it right". "Getting it wrong" is missing out on these savings.

Markville Toyota will give you up to $3,000 to use to cover the cost of your car insurance if you purchase or lease a new or used vehicle. Their selection is huge.

Call Markville Toyota at 1-800-828-6585 for the make and model of the vehicle you're interested in, and go to InsuranceHotline.com to get your insurance quote.

You'll probably end up paying less money, for a new car and insurance than you do now.