Pennsylvania Auto Insurance

The state of Pennsylvania could easily be one of the most populated states in the nation, and with so many cars out on its roads it is imperative to have automobile insurance. According to the United States Census Bureau there were approximately 12,440,621 people living in the state as of January 2006; and predictions say that the population will increase up to 2% in the coming years.

Drivers in the state need to know everything about the automobile insurance industry in Pennsylvania, such as the components of the policy, the minimum requirements in the state and some of the insurance companies they can count on when it comes to getting a policy in this state.

Use our free Pennsylvania auto insurance quote finder at the top of the page to compare the top insurance companies offering coverage in your home zip code. Many experts recommend reviewing your PA auto insurance policy at least every 6 months so why not give your policy a little check up the easy way? Let our free online comparison tool help you with some of the leg work. Get started saving some money on your Pennsylvania auto insurance policy now!

Pennsylvania Auto Insurance Requirements

Perhaps the first thing that is important to know about the auto insurance industry in the state of Pennsylvania is the minimum coverage that a driver must have before he or she can drive on the roads of the state.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the least coverage that a person can have if they want to get behind the wheel of a car is 15/30/5. These numbers can confuse many and because of this it is important to understand what they mean. The State simply mandates that a driver have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person after an accident, $30,000 bodily injury total after an accident, and $5,000 in property damage.

It is important to understand that the previously stated amounts are only the minimum coverage that any PA resident is required to have. If you see that these amounts are not the ones that you would want to have when purchasing automobile insurance in the state of Pennsylvania then you should consult with your local insurance agent to see what other options they will give you.

It is also imperative to understand that penalties for not having auto insurance in Pennsylvania can be very severe and it is important for people to have at least the minimum.

According to Pennsylvania law enforcement, if you are stopped and the police officer notices that your auto insurance has been suspended for more than 31 days; your driving privilege will be taken away for at least three months. Keep in mind that punishments keep going up after the first offense and you can even be taken to jail if they law enforcement officer decides to do so.

Pennsylvania Auto Insurance Policy Coverage

Before even deciding what and how much automobile insurance you are going to purchase if you live in the state of Pennsylvania, it is important to understand the types of coverage that are present in any auto insurance policy.

1. Liability Coverage: This type of coverage is simply made for the people that are at fault after an automobile accident. In the no-fault states where the insurance companies of each person pay for their drivers liability is not as important, although bodily injury liability might still be required. In the other states bodily injury is perhaps even more important simply because they can be assigned fault after an accident. If a person is assigned fault, it is up to their insurance company to pay for the other person’s medical bills and expenses.
2. Collision Coverage: As the name implies this coverage is simply what you should get if you want to be reimbursed by your insurance company after an accident. You should consider this type of coverage if you want to get your car fixed after a wreck or if you want to be able to get another car if your vehicle is totaled after an accident. Many banks and car dealerships demand buyers to get this coverage if the customer is still making payments on the vehicle.
3. Comprehensive Coverage: Many people confuse this type of coverage because they cannot relate the word “comprehensive” to any other in the auto insurance industry. To make it easier to understand, this is the type of coverage that you would want to have if you want to be paid damages to your vehicle made by anything other than a car (of course it has to be written in the policy or you wont be reimbursed). This includes damages due to vandalism, hail, fire, snow; or any other damages due to other than a collision.
4. Uninsured or Underinsured Coverage (UM/UIM): This is perhaps one of the easiest types of coverage to explain in a Pennsylvania Automobile Policy. What this refers to is that you will be paid the damages made to your vehicle if a person without automobile insurance or one without adequate auto insurance is involved in a wreck with you.
5. Personal Injury Protection (PIP): This is only required in a few states (Florida is an example) and it covers anything that a general policy does not cover. Included in this coverage are things such as wages, childcare expenses and many other things.
6. Medical Payments Coverage: This type of coverage is simply aiding your bodily injury coverage with medical expenses. It was established for the passengers of a car that gets involved in an automobile accident and it can be very helpful to aid people that were part of an accident, but were only passengers of a vehicle.

Pennsylvania Auto Insurance Discounts

It is important to understand that many auto insurance companies in the state of Pennsylvania offer discounts for the people that purchase their policies, or for people covered under certain insurance policies. Although the discounts vary from company to company it is important to highlight a few of the best discounts that a person can ask for when purchasing auto insurance in Pennsylvania.

1. Senior Citizen Discount: This type of discount was made for senior citizens simply because PA auto insurance prices tend to go up after reaching certain age brackets. People will have to take a senior citizen driving course and they will have to show proof of the course to their insurer and the Department of Motor Vehicles. One can save a significant amount of money with this discount.
2. Good Student Discount: This type of discount was made primarily for students at the high school level; however some insurance companies have been giving it to college students because they know that at the college level expenses tend to rise. You will simply have to maintain a 3.0 GPA (this might vary between insurance companies) and you will be saving money on your PA car insurance premiums.
3. Safety Features Discount: Perhaps the most important discount because it allows a person to save a considerable amount of money is the safety feature discount. If you have anything that promotes safety in your vehicle (anti-lock brakes, air bags, automatic seatbelts, alarms, etc) you should notify your insurance company. They will more than likely lower your price because you are a safe driver that is always thinking safety first.

Auto Insurance Rates In Pennsylvania

As discussed previously the highly populated state of Pennsylvania sees numerous cars transit their roads day in and day out. In the year 2003 the average national annual auto insurance premium in the United States was $914 per month. That same year the state of Pennsylvania averaged $909 a month, right below the national average.

In the year 2007, rates went down for the first time in quite a while and the state saw a significant reduction in premiums. It is important to highlight that these are only averages and rates change from place to place due to the traffic, rate of theft, and other risk factors present in that particular region of Pennsylvania.

Compare  Pennsylvania Auto Insurance Quotes Now!

Now that you have some insight into finding (and hopefully saving money) on an automobile insurance policy and now that you know the different types of coverage required in the state of Pennsylvania, it will be easier for you to see the different types of policies given by the various companies.

If you want the minimum coverage then you know what it is, and if you want to add or drop services when go ahead and proceed with confidence. The State of Pennsylvania wants their residents to drive free of worries and tries to ensure that every driver is covered with auto insurance, what more can PA residents ask for!

To save yourself some time and money just enter your zip code into our free PA auto insurance quote finder at the top of the page. Enter in your basic information and then you can view online comparison quotes from top Pennsylvania auto insurance companies. Get started finding the best Pennsylvania auto insurance now!