The words “low-cost” and “auto insurance” really don’t belong together, in particular when you are looking for the lowest insurance rates for high risk drivers. To save some money, let’s open your eyes to some things that impact car insurance premiums, and find out if we can help you lower the price of the next policy you buy.
Finding out which companies have the cheapest auto insurance rates for high risk drivers involves more time than just picking a company at random. Each company uses a different method for setting prices, so we will examine the auto insurance companies with the overall best prices in Pennsylvania.
It’s a good idea to know that Pennsylvania auto insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that can increase the cost of your policy. Getting older, increasing liability limits, or getting a ticket for careless driving may cause policy rate changes that can now make some companies more affordable than others.
Find Cheaper Auto Insurance for Risky Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Casualty | $726 |
| 2 | Travelers | $787 |
| 3 | USAA | $793 |
| 4 | Penn National | $816 |
| 5 | Erie | $824 |
| 6 | Auto-Owners | $1,003 |
| 7 | Amica | $1,012 |
| 8 | Atlantic States | $1,016 |
| 9 | Donegal Mutual | $1,069 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,111 |
| 11 | Allied | $1,144 |
| 12 | State Farm | $1,198 |
| 13 | California Casualty | $1,222 |
| 14 | State Auto | $1,267 |
| 15 | Encompass | $1,385 |
| 16 | Harleysville | $1,410 |
| 17 | Nationwide | $1,433 |
| 18 | Mutual Benefit Group | $1,454 |
| 19 | Progressive | $1,472 |
| 20 | Chubb | $1,551 |
| Quote Your Rates Go | ||
General Casualty may have some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Philadelphia at around $726 each year. Travelers, USAA, Penn National, and Erie also qualify as some of the cheaper Philadelphia, PA auto insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you buy coverage from Penn National and switched to Travelers, you might see an annual premium reduction of upwards of $29. Pennsylvania drivers with Erie might save as much as $37 a year, and Auto-Owners policyholders might see rate reductions of $216 a year.
Remember that these premiums are averages for all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with an exact vehicle garaging location for high risk drivers. So the car insurance company that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the list above. That helps illustrate why you need to get quotes using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
One of the more important criteria that aid in calculating the cost of insurance is your address. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people are more likely to have higher rates, whereas less populated areas have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The illustration below rates the priciest cities in Pennsylvania for high risk drivers in which to purchase auto insurance. Philadelphia shows up at #1 with an annual premium of $1,977 for the average policy, which is approximately $165 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | $1,977 |
| 2 | Drexel Hill | $1,504 |
| 3 | Levittown | $1,421 |
| 4 | Chester | $1,393 |
| 5 | Norristown | $1,268 |
| 6 | Reading | $1,110 |
| 7 | Allentown | $1,097 |
| 8 | Bethlehem | $1,087 |
| 9 | Pittsburgh | $1,085 |
| 10 | Municipality of Monr | $1,081 |
| 11 | Erie | $1,071 |
| 12 | Scranton | $1,071 |
| 13 | Easton | $1,058 |
| 14 | Plum | $1,057 |
| 15 | Wilkes-Barre | $1,057 |
| 16 | Hazleton | $1,056 |
| 17 | Altoona | $1,032 |
| 18 | Harrisburg | $1,015 |
| 19 | New Castle | $1,015 |
| 20 | Bethel Park | $1,009 |
| 21 | Williamsport | $996 |
| 22 | Lancaster | $995 |
| 23 | Lebanon | $960 |
| 24 | York | $954 |
| 25 | State College | $869 |
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Rate information is comparative as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can alter price quotes substantially.
The make and model of vehicle you are trying to insure is a significant factor in finding affordable auto insurance for high risk drivers. Vehicles with lower performance, an excellent safety record, or a track record of few liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than high performance models. The information below showcases auto insurance rates for some of the most cost-effective vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $13,930 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $13,939 |
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $13,930 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $15,441 |
| Toyota Prius | $15,628 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 2WD | $15,744 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $16,217 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $16,658 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $16,832 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $16,983 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $17,006 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Extended Cab 4WD | $17,013 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $17,006 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $17,171 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $17,180 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $17,175 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $17,181 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $17,251 |
| Honda Odyssey Touring | $17,411 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $17,416 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $17,411 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $17,790 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $18,102 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | |
Data assumes single male driver age 40, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy. Rate quotes do not factor in specific garaging location which can affect premium rates greatly.
Looking at the numbers, you can assume that vehicles like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape will definitely be a few of the most affordable vehicles to insure for high risk drivers. Auto insurance rates will be more expensive because there is more exposure for high risk drivers, but generally speaking those particular vehicles will tend to have the lowest prices compared to other vehicles.
Types of discounts on Philadelphia car insurance rates
Insurance providers that sell policies for high risk drivers may also give you premium discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 30% if you meet eligibility requirements. A few popular companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are detailed below.
- State Farm offers discounts including multiple autos, passive restraint, multiple policy, defensive driving training, safe vehicle, and good student.
- Progressive offers discounts for online quote discount, online signing, good student, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner.
- Travelers discounts include home ownership, multi-policy, save driver, payment discounts, student away at school, continuous insurance, and hybrid/electric vehicle.
- American Family includes discounts for defensive driver, mySafetyValet, multi-vehicle, TimeAway discount, and good driver.
- Liberty Mutual offers premium reductions for new graduate, multi-car, newly married, preferred payment discount, newly retired, and new move discount.
The information below illustrates the comparison of annual premium costs with and without some available policy discounts. The premiums assume a male driver, two citations and two at-fault accidents, Pennsylvania state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with marriage, homeowner, passive restraint, paid-in-full, paperless filing, and vehicle safety discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theaverage yearly reduction on auto insurance for high risk drivers is 29% or $1,116.
Cost of full coverage in Philadelphia
Saving money on auto insurance is probably important to most vehicle owners, and one common way to reduce the cost of insurance for high risk drivers is to only buy liability coverage. The example below illustrates the difference between auto insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The data is based on no claims or driving citations, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no other discounts are factored in.
If we average all the age groups together, full coverage costs an extra $1,731 per year over liability only. Lot’s of drivers question if buying full coverage is a waste of money. There isn’t a written rule that is best for determining when to drop physical damage coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s book value is $11,500 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company will settle for is $10,500 after the policy deductible has been paid. If premiums are more than $1,050 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
The diagram below illustrates how your choice of deductibles can increase or decrease insurance costs when searching for cheap insurance for high risk drivers. Data assumes a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
As shown above, a 40-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $368 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $552 by using a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the 20-year-old example, could reduce their rates $1,222 or more by choosing a higher deductible.
If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it will be required to have additional savings on hand to allow you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some people from using high deductibles.
How to find cheaper car insurance for high risk drivers
The list below shows some of the recommended thrifty suggestions that can help you quote lower-cost coverage.
- Staying accident-free helps keep rates low
- Do not get traffic violations
- Avoid filing excessive claims
- Safe vehicles cost less to insure
- Maintaining good credit helps earn cheaper rates
- Compare price quotes at least once a year
The last item on the list is notably important, as was emphasized in the prior information. Car insurance rates in Philadelphia can be modified anytime, so don’t be hesitant to switch to a new company if a lower price can be found.
Having brand loyalty is commendable, but is isn’t recommended if that inflexibility results in costing you thousands of dollars over several years. Now is a great time to shop around and find cheaper car insurance for high risk drivers.
If you prefer to have a little guidance when trying to find lower insurance rates for high risk drivers, the agents below are a good start to help you determine which auto insurance policy fits you best.
To find an agent closest to you, click the button after the list or click here to get price quotes now.
- Joe Ems – State Farm Insurance Agent
7348 Frankford Ave – Philadelphia, PA 19136 – (215) 333-5100 - Vince Ovecka – State Farm Insurance Agent
456 E Girard Ave – Philadelphia, PA 19125 – (215) 739-0800 - State Farm: Brian Cover
7005 Bustleton Ave – Philadelphia, PA 19149 – (215) 332-9000