How much is car insurance per month in California?

Drivers in California are required to maintain a certain level of car insurance coverage to make sure they have the financial means to pay for any auto accident damages or injuries they may cause.

Accidents can be very expensive, and even a minor fender bender can cost thousands of dollars in repairs, not to mention the cost if anyone is injured or killed.

Auto insurers win business by pricing insurance coverage competitively and they continually look for ways to bring less expensive insurance to consumers.

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California’s Minimum Car Insurance Requirements

In California, basic liability insurance is required for all drivers.

The necessary coverage limits for liability are $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 coverage per accident for bodily injury and $5,000 for personal property damages per accident.

To assist drivers who have difficulty paying for auto insurance, the state makes a low-cost policy available through its California Automobile Assigned Risk Plan.

The liability coverage limits under this plan are lower, at $10,000 per person bodily injury, $20,000 of bodily injury per accident and $3,000 personal property damage coverage.

Additional Coverage Options

Additional auto insurance coverage is available to give drivers more protection since liability does not cover the policyholder — it only pays for damages caused to someone else.

Collision provides coverage to the policyholder’s vehicle if someone else damages it while comprehensive covers any other kind of damage that may happen to a vehicle.

Personal injury protection insurance provides extra medical coverage and is especially helpful for people who do not have health insurance.

Factors Affecting California Car Insurance Premiums

Auto insurance premiums are calculated based on a variety of factors, including many years of historical driving and accident statistics tracked by insurance companies.

The type of car a person drives, age, gender and driving history all play a part in calculating premiums.

Receiving just one moving violation ticket can cause car insurance rates to increase noticeably, and recently, car insurance companies have also started to factor drivers’ credit histories into insurance premium calculations.

Latest California Auto Insurance Legislation

In California, as of 2008, Proposition 103’s requirement to prohibit insurance companies from using zip codes to calculate auto insurance premiums was fully implemented.

When zip codes were factored in, insurance costs were substantially higher in larger, urban areas, even for “perfect” drivers.

California lawmakers have made sure that insurers must rely on an individual’s driving history to calculate premiums.

Average Car Insurance Cost for California

According to a study that follows average insurance rates each year, California’s average auto insurance quotes for 2011 is $1,190 per year.

The average cost of insurance has come down over the last few years, from $1,650 in 2009 to $1,286 in 2010. These statistics are updated each month by averaging the last 12 months of data.

The average for insurance on a national level is $1,442, which has also come down from a much higher level of $1,736 in 2009.

California’s Auto Accident Statistics

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration tracks auto accident data and fatalities every year for each state in the U.S. According to a report on the five-year trend for California’s top five counties in terms of auto accident fatalities.

The top five counties with the highest number of fatalities are Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside and Kern counties.

Los Angeles County had 588 traffic fatalities in 2009, and Kern County had 157 traffic fatalities in 2009.

How much is California car insurance per month?

Average insurance statistics vary over time based on the type of coverage people buy, as well as their driving history and other factors.

New legislation changes could also affect insurance rates, as traffic penalties and convictions become more or less frequent.

California’s average auto insurance premiums of $1,190 per year comes out to $99.17 per month.

Based on monthly rolling updates, the average insurance rate is trending slightly up through March of 2011, with the monthly insurance average coming out to $102.42 as of March 2011.

How to Find Affordable Car Insurance in California

Quality auto insurance providers are plentiful in California, and most have an online presence that allows consumers to do quick comparison-shopping for rates.

A little homework can turn up companies that make sense for good drivers and other insurance companies that specialize in high-risk drivers.

It is important to find the right type of insurance company to fit a driver’s history since rates can vary widely between them. 

Many national brands like Allstate Insurance, Progressive Insurance and State Farm Auto Insurance are all licensed to do business in California and many other regional providers provide multiple discounts and competitive service.

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