Numerous factors can influence your auto insurance premiums. Some of them are so seemingly insignificant that they might actually surprise you. However, some of these small risk factors actually are not risk factors at all.
Over the years, a myth has been perpetuated that the color of your vehicle influences both how often you are to get stopped by police, and how much you are going to pay for your auto insurance. In truth, these are just myths. But also, many myths also have some degree of foundation in reality. As a result, let’s take a closer look at the actual features of your vehicle that can actually influence your auto insurance rates.
Color and Car Insurance
Auto insurers will never calculate your auto insurance premiums based on the color of your vehicle; that’s the bottom line. Whatever conjecture, lore or statistics seem to say, vehicle color is not a factor in how much you pay for your coverage.
All in all, the color of your car has absolutely no bearing on your likelihood of filing a claim on your policy, which is the determining factor in how much you pay for your coverage. Instead, your car insurance rates are determined by other factors like your:
- Vehicle size, make, model and value
- History of infractions on your driving record
- History of carrying auto insurance and filing claims on it
So, on one hand, yes, your vehicle’s specific features might make you a higher risk to insure from the insurer’s perspective. However, the color of your vehicle is completely irrelevant in this regard.
Do Some Car Colors Get Pulled Over More?
On one hand, your car’s color within itself won’t raise your rates. However, it might affect the risk you have of being pulled over, which could lead to increased rates in the future.
For example, studies show that both white cars and red cars have a higher chance of being pulled over, though there is no definitive reason for why this is the case.
On one hand, white is one of the most common colors of vehicles on the road. On the other hand, red is a color that is commonly associated with sports cars and other vehicles that are a lot more powerful, and by default, more dangerous. As a result, higher rates of traffic stops for drivers of these vehicles might simply be created by a disproportionate statistic. Therefore, while it’s possible to say that vehicle color might influence your premiums, at the end of the day, it’s how you behave while driving this vehicle that will be the ultimate factor in determining your rates.
Still, color isn’t the only influence on the rate of getting pulled over or receiving citations. Statistics show that men tend to receive more citations than women, as well as participate in more aggressive driving activities. Unlike car color, though, your gender could also affect your car insurance rates. Due to these statistics, men tend to pay higher car insurance premiums.
Age, Gender and Insurance Costs
Because vehicle characteristics, there are numerous personal factors, related to individual drivers, that can influence auto insurance premiums.
For example, younger drivers typically pay much higher premiums regardless of the type of vehicle they drive. This is because newer drivers are seen as nonstandard or high-risk drivers. High-risk drivers are those who are more likely to file an insurance claim, and therefore more likely to cost the insurer more money. Insurance agencies charge high-risk drivers more to compensate for the possibility of the driver filing a claim.
Finding Cheaper Auto Insurance
While the color of your vehicle doesn’t matter, other aspects of the vehicle and your driving habits do. One of the biggest influences on your car insurance rates is your driving record. To keep a clean driving record (no matter what the color your vehicle), make sure to avoid these habits:
- Using a cell phone while driving
- Reckless driving habits (drying to beat yellow lights, running stop signs, etc.)
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Different violations cause your insurance rates to rise at various levels. A DUI, for example, could make your premiums jump by 80% or more.
Besides avoiding traffic violations, you can also save money by:
- Avoiding purchasing sports cars
- Buying a vehicle with a high safety rating
- Asking about discounts (Good Driver discounts, Mature Driver discounts, Good Student discounts, etc.)
- Investing in an anti-theft system
If you or someone on your policy is considered a nonstandard or high-risk driver, you should ask your agent to help you choose a policy from a carrier that specialize in such coverage. That way, you'll know you are already working with the company that is prepared to consider you a customer worth investing in.