Cheap Auto Insurance in California

By Ningthoujam Sandhyarani

 Auto insurance is purchased to provide protection against financial loss in the event of a road accident. Sometimes, it is referred to as vehicle insurance or car insurance. Auto insurance covers the injuries and damages that are incurred due to an accident. Depending upon the auto insurance product, it may cover the costs for replacing a vehicle, in case it is stolen.

Cheap Auto Insurance in California

In California, auto insurance is not an option, but a legal necessity for cars and other vehicles. It is necessary to have auto insurance for your motor vehicle, before using it on public roads. In case, a car driver is caught without a valid car insurance, he/she may be penalized with a heavy fine and even the driver's license may be suspended.

Finding a cheap auto insurance in California is not a difficult task, provided that you meet certain requirements. Since there is lot of competition between the insurance companies, some of them may offer low premium plans. However, it is always better to take a policy from a company, which has a good record of providing cheap auto insurance. Let's look into the mandatory auto insurance and optional coverages in California. 

For licensing a car in California, liability insurance is compulsory. In an accident, if you are at fault, the liability insurance compensates for the injury and property damages to a third party. Coverage for bodily injury claim includes medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and legal defense cost (if any). The minimum liability insurance required under California law is referred to as "15/30/5". This means that in a car accident, $15,000 is the coverage amount required for a person's injury, $30,000 in case all the persons in the car are injured and $5,000 for damage to the other person's property. 

It is to be noted that liability coverage provides protection for other people, not for the policyholder. While taking up an auto insurance policy, you can choose from optional coverages, according to your budget and needs.

• Comprehensive - This optional coverage should be taken with collision coverage. It provides protection for damage other than collision, theft, glass damage and damage from hitting an animal.
• Collision - Collision coverage can be taken without comprehensive coverage. It pays the cost for repairing or replacing a vehicle that has collided with another car or object.
• Medical Payments - Medical payments cover the medical and dental treatment cost for hospitalization and funeral expenses of the policyholder and the accompanying passengers. According to the coverage plan, it may also cover the medical expenses of the policyholder in case of injury, while driving someone else's car.
• Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist - According to this coverage, if you get injured in an accident, caused by a driver who does not have auto insurance, then this plan will cover the expenses of lost wages, medical and other general damages.
• Emergency Road Service - This optional coverage cannot be taken without collision coverage. Emergency road service, also known as towing coverage, covers the expenses of towing the car, in case it becomes disabled or damaged.
• Rental Car Limit - In order to take rental car coverage, you should have collision and comprehensive coverage. This coverage pays for the cost of renting a car, in case you cannot drive the insured car due to damage in an accident or theft.

If you have a good grade in college, a well-equipped vehicle and a certified driver's training certificate, then you have a better chance of getting a good auto insurance with minimum premium payment. While selling auto insurance, the auto insurance company also checks, whether the person has a clean driving record or not. If you meet all these criteria, you can buy cheap auto insurance in California.