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What Car Insurance Coverage Do I Need?
Decide how much liability coverage is enough for similar type of drivers.
Pennsylvania Car Insurance
Usually, finding the cheap car insurance in Pennsylvania is very easy as the place is known for having low car insurance prices. If you own a car and living in Pennsylvania then you must know that Pennsylvania contains roads that are a thousand miles long. So despite your location, you are supposed to have a car insurance, which is not just for protection but it is also the legal requirement of the state as there are so many accidents that happen throughout the year making it a compulsion. So we will discuss the rates of car insurance in PA.
Average rates in PA
Most of the time people ask questions like What are the rates of car insurance in Pennsylvania? Or Where can I get cheap car insurance in PA? These types of questions don’t have specific answers because the rates can largely depend upon the location. If you are living in Philadelphia then you might notice that the rates are a bit higher than that from other cities. But overall, the rates are low. The average rate of car insurance in Pennsylvania is $ 1,500. This rate is variable and can change according to your location.
Before giving you PA car insurance, the companies usually judge you on the basis of some other factors too apart from your location like the car you own or your age or your history. Also, if you want to register your vehicle, then you are supposed to fill some forms that should be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of transportation. Only after getting the approval, you can get your vehicle registered. Those extra factors that affect the rates of car insurance are your age, gender, your previous driving record, your marital status, the purpose of using the car, prior coverage of PA auto insurance.
If a person lives in Oakland and the other lives in Erie, then there can be a large difference between the car insurance rates. Sometimes, the difference can reach up to hundreds of dollars. Apart from the average that is $1500, the highest rate of car insurance in Pennsylvania can be as high as $3000 and low as $600. These are possible rates and can change.
Philadelphia is known to have the highest car insurance rate. If you are looking for cheap auto insurance in PA then you should see Beaver Springs or Bellefonte. That’s why before registering your vehicle, always try to compare the best car insurance rates of different companies. Usually, Pennsylvania requires you to buy First party benefits that can cost around $5000. These benefits are for your own good as it helps in paying the medical bills no matter what the situation is. The state offers some minimum coverage which can be increased accordingly.
Car insurance requirement in Pennsylvania
Since there is cheap insurance in PA, the requirements of the state for minimum liability insurance is pretty low. When compared to these requirements with other states, it was found that in PA the rates were much lower. Once you meet the state’s requirements, you save yourself from paying huge amounts for accidents or any property damage because of your vehicle. The damage of property liability costs around $5000 per year which is the minimum cost. Cheap insurance PA covers all the expenses once the coverage is done.
The cost of bodily injury liability has a requirement of $15000. This cost can change according to the state and can go up to $30,000 to $40,000.
As we discussed before the First Party Benefits, these benefits have some minimum requirement of $5000. This is generally enough for a year and comparatively cheaper than the other states. But these bills have some limit and once the limit has exceeded, you become responsible for further expenses and you would have to pay the bills legally. So try not to exceed the limit and always keep a tap on the coverage.
State law requires the following coverages: | |
Minimum bodily injury liability | $15,000/$30,000 |
Minimum property damage liability | $5,000 |
First party benefits (medical) | $5,000 |
Recommended Car Insurance Coverage in Pennsylvania
There is a whole lot of research involved when figuring out the amount of car insurance you need to get.
Now to know how much coverage you need, you have to make sure you know your assets and your car status. If you have your own car and a certain amount of assets, then the coverage needed is much less and on the other hand, if you don’t own a car or giving your car for lease than you need more car insurance coverage. Also, if you want to protect any of your savings then it would be a great thing to get more and more coverage.
Coverage limits | Average annual rate |
Liability Only – state minimum | $480 |
Liability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PD | $526 |
Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD $500 Comp/Collision deductible | $1,522 |
Lets talk about the other factors that should be taken into consideration.
1. Accountability that matters
Let’s take a hypothetical situation whose possibility of happening is low but it exists. If you hit someone with your car or any kind of accident happens because of you, what is the first thing that the victim does? Sues. Yes, the victim can sue you, but it mainly happens if you have a lot of property or savings in your bank account. So to save yourself from any kind of situations that can land into trouble financially, always try to pay more than the minimum liability coverage as it is only a bar to set some limits. The higher your coverage is, the more is your chance of losing assets.
2. Perks of Gap insurance
This is basically an extra or optional insurance. If you insured a car and one day it gets stolen or meets with an accident then this gap car insurance makes sure that you get some settlement based on ACV of your car. If your car is on loan and you still haven’t paid it and the car somehow gets damaged, then the gap insurance pays a sum of the amount which makes a gap between the actual value of your car and the balance remaining. With this insurance, you’ll be having the car without having to pay a huge bill after the accident.
Gap insurance is called optional insurance because this insurance only works if your loan is yet to be paid. If you own the car without having to pay any loan, then there is no use of getting this insurance. If you are looking for cheap insurance in PA then you don’t have to pay for what you don’t need. But if your car is on the lease, then getting this can save you from some horrible scenarios because actual cash value is what helps in determining the amount your policy pays within a year.
3. Your Medical Bills
You know what is worse than getting into an accident? Paying the hospital bills of yourself or the one you hit by your vehicle. In such situations, the coverage of medical payments can help in covering the expenses, accident victims either it is the passenger or the pedestrian. Usually, the medical payment coverage is $25000. This covers all the medical payments and if there is any death involved, it also covers it. The best part about this one is that if the driver is walking down the road and suddenly gets hit with any type of vehicle, then this one even covers the medical bills in such case. So it is a wise option to pay the minimum coverage for medical bills.
Laws in Pennsylvania
You can easily find cheap car insurance in PA but you also have to know about the car insurance laws in Pennsylvania. There are certain laws for insurance that need to be followed and breaking of these laws can land you in jail or you might have to pay some monetary fine.
The laws generally include giving the proof of your insurance in Pennsylvania. This proof should be current and should include all the information about your activities like how many times you violated traffic rules or the time you registered your car for the insurance. If you violate any traffic rule, you are given a point in your driver’s license. After completion of 6 points, you will be forced to give a written exam which will test your knowledge about the traffic rules and regulations. After 11 points, the driver’s license gets terminated and you won’t be allowed to drive any motor vehicle on the roads of Pennsylvania.
These points can be removed by showing good gestures and signs of improvements. If you don’t violate any traffic rule for 1 year straight then 3 points get deducted from your driver’s license.
Moreover, whenever you are driving any vehicle in PA then you are supposed to carry the proof of your auto insurance Pennsylvania with you and whenever asked by any law enforcement officer, then you should be ready to show them the proof as failing to do so can result in paying penalties. Even your driver’s license can get canceled or suspended for more than 3 months.
At last, if you are looking for the cheapest auto insurance in Pennsylvania then always compare between companies and make sure that there is no unnecessary coverage and at the end, try to combine your car insurance policy with your other policies for maximum benefit.
Speed Limits in Pennsylvania
Rural Interstates
Cars (MPH) | Trucks (MPH) |
---|---|
65 | 65 |
Urban Interstates
Cars (MPH) | Trucks (MPH) |
---|---|
65 | 65 |
Other Limited Access Roads
Cars (MPH) | Trucks (MPH) |
---|---|
65 | 65 |
*NOTE: Limit of 70 MPH on specific segments based on an engineering and traffic investigation