Save on 1996 Dodge Dakota Insurance Quotes

Searching for the cheapest insurance rates for your Dodge Dakota? Saving money on insurance can be hard for drivers who are beginners to online insurance quotes. Because there are so many online companies available, it can be a real challenge to compare prices.

If you currently have car insurance, you stand a good chance to be able to save some money using these methods. The purpose of this article is to instruct you on the most effective way to quote insurance and some tricks to saving. But drivers do need to learn how insurance companies compete online and use this information to your advantage.

The best way to compare rates utilizes the fact most of the bigger providers provide online access to provide you with free rate quotes. All consumers are required to do is give them rating details including types of safety features, how many miles driven, the ages of drivers, and marital status. That information is instantly sent to multiple different insurance companies and they return cost estimate quickly.

If you wish to get multiple quotes for your car now, click here and find out if lower rates are available.

How to lower your insurance costs

Multiple criteria are taken into consideration when quoting car insurance. Some are pretty understandable like your driving record, but others are less apparent such as your marital status and annual miles driven.

Shown below are a partial list of the pieces used by companies to determine your premiums.

  • Responsible drivers pay the best premiums – How you drive has a huge affect on how much you pay. Even one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates substantially. Drivers with clean records get better prices as compared to careless drivers. People who have dangerous violations such as DUI or reckless driving are required to prove financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Gaps in coverage mean higher rates – Having a lapse in insurance coverage can be a fast way to increase your rates. Not only will you pay higher rates, not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.
  • Credit rating impact car insurance rates – Your credit score is a large factor in calculating your car insurance rates. Therefore, if your credit could use some work, you may save money insuring your 1996 Dodge Dakota if you improve your credit rating. Insureds with high credit scores tend to be better risks to insure as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings.
  • Do males or females drive better? – Statistics demonstrate that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that men are WORSE drivers than women. Males and females cause accidents at about the same rate, but the men have costlier accidents. Men also tend to get ticketed for serious violations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Youthful male drivers generally have the highest accident percentage so it costs more to insure them.
  • Liability coverage is important – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance is the protection if you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides for a legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Car insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but there could be significant discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Many discounts should be triggered at the time of quoting, but a few must be asked for before being credited.

  • Switch and Save Discount – A few insurance companies offer discounts for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
  • Early Payment Discounts – If you pay your bill all at once as opposed to paying monthly you may have a lower total premium amount.
  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Maintaining low annual mileage may allow you to get lower rates due to less chance of an accident.
  • Senior Citizen Rates – If you’re over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for lower premium rates on Dakota coverage.
  • Driver’s Ed – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course in school.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Cars optioned with advanced anti-theft systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10% off your car insurance quote.
  • Lower Rates for Military – Being on active deployment in the military can result in better premium rates.
  • Smart Student Discounts – Performing well in school may save as much as 25% on a car insurance quote. This discount can apply up to age 25.
  • Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle up can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) on medical payment and PIP coverage.
  • Distant College Student Discount – Youth drivers who live away from home to go to college and don’t have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.

One thing to note about discounts is that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Even though the math looks like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

A few companies that may offer some of the discounts shown above possibly include:

It’s a good idea to ask each company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts may not apply to policies in your area. To see car insurance companies with significant discounts, follow this link.

Don’t assume everyone needs the same car insurance coverage

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

These are some specific questions may help you determine whether your personal situation might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Is my trailer covered?
  • Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
  • How do I buy GAP insurance?
  • Does my personal policy cover me when driving out-of-state?
  • Does coverage extend to Mexico or Canada?
  • Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Car insurance coverage breakdown

Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy aids in choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.

Collision protection

Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as hitting a mailbox, crashing into a building and sideswiping another vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Another option is to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Most of the time these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Liability insurance

Liability coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to people or other property. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for things such as funeral expenses, loss of income, attorney fees, medical services and legal defense fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.

Insurance for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses for funeral costs, rehabilitation expenses and EMT expenses. The coverages can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers both the driver and occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This coverage pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive insurance covers things such as vandalism, damage from a tornado or hurricane, falling objects, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and hail damage. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.

Better coverage you can count on

Drivers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including denial of a claim, delays in paying claims, unfair underwriting practices or delays in responding to claim requests. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new company can be easier than you think.

Lower-priced auto insurance can be bought both online in addition to many insurance agents, so you should compare both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies may not offer online quoting and most of the time these regional carriers only sell coverage through independent insurance agencies.

We just covered a lot of tips how to save on 1996 Dodge Dakota insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of getting inexpensive car insurance. You may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a lesser-known regional company.

Additional auto insurance information can be read at the links below