Archive for the ‘Auto Insurance’ Category

10 Used Cars to Avoid – Feature/Best/Worst Lists/High Performance/Hot Lists/Reviews/Car and Driver – Car And Driver

In tough times, there’s a huge temptation to compromise on one’s purchases, and buying a used car is one place to save a few bucks. Sure, we’d all like to drive a new BMW as our regular commuter, but, boy, that ’97 Malibu sure is tempting for $700. After all, it’s just for getting back and forth to work, and the woman selling it has to be 106—how much damage could she have done?

There’s nothing wrong with bargain hunting as long as you’re hunting the right game. When it comes to used cars, there are things that are always best to avoid.

 10 Used Cars to Avoid – Feature/Best/Worst Lists/High Performance/Hot Lists/Reviews/Car and Driver – Car And Driver

Do you have too much car insurance?

Posted by Angela Davidson February 20, 2009 7:59 AM

Categories: Insurance

Car insurance is a necessity. We all have it; we’re all supposed to have it anyway. As per Alabama Law, all vehicles operated, or registered within the state must be covered by a specific amount.

These amounts in Alabama are $25,000 for injury, $50,000 for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage. The only other option is that you cover your vehicle yourself with a $50,000 liability bond, or cash deposit through the State.

Basically, this means that if you have an accident and you are at fault, your insurance should cover up to $25,000 for the other driver’s injuries and up to $25,000 for their property. In the case that there is more than one person in the other vehicle, your insurance will cover up to $50,000 for all injuries.

follow the link below to read more

Do you have too much car insurance? – Centsible Living – al.com

10 Worst Insurance Companies for Consumers Ranked; No. 1, 3, 4 and 7 Sell Policies in AL – WHNT

MONTGOMERY – In recent years, Alabama homeowners have seen sharp increases in their insurance premiums.  A new study put out by the American Association for Justice ranks the 10 worst insurance companies in the U.S. for consumers and explains the overall rise in premium costs to an industry-wide strategy of denying claims, delaying payments and defending those positions as long as possible in hopes that weary claimants will settle for less than their claim is worth. (I am not sure how denying claims leads to an increase in premium – maybe this is article and ranking has something besides the truth as its purpose.)

“Nationally, we’ve seen insurance companies continue to put profits over the best interest of their policyholders,” Gibson Vance, president of the Alabama Association for Justice (ALAJ), formerly the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association, said, adding that “in Alabama it’s no different.”  

In Alabama, State Farm (#4 on the 10 Worst Insurance Companies List) is the leading insurer of property and casualty insurance, followed by Allstate, AIG and Farmers (#’s 1, 3 and 7 on the 10 Worst Insurance Companies List).  Alabamians pay the ninth-highest average homeowners premiums in the nation, which insurers say is because of hurricane risk, but interestingly only 12 percent of the state is coastal.  In addition, property and casualty insurers took in $6.6 billion in premiums from Alabama policyholders in 2006 but only paid out $3.5 billion in losses.

10 Worst Insurance Companies for Consumers Ranked; No. 1, 3, 4 and 7 Sell Policies in AL – WHNT

Alabama State Troopers begin entering electronic crash reports

Posted by Ginny MacDonald — Birmingham News June 08, 2009 5:44 AM

Alabama state troopers have launched a new electronic crash report system that speeds up the turnaround time for getting a crash report.

The system, called eCrash shortens motorists’ wait times for copies of wreck reports from state troopers. In one instance, a motorist retrieved his wreck report in five hours, said Birmingham State Trooper Sgt. Steve Bryant.

That’s good news for motorists involved in crashes because insurance companies typically need the reports to process auto damage claims.

“It’s a better way to submit crash reports and to do it in a more timely manner,” said eCrash project manager Sgt. Chris Brown, who has spent the past two years setting up the system. He noted that the state had been criticized in the past by federal agencies for failing to release crash reports in a timely fashion.

State officials have complained for years that they could not file final crash reports from the year before with federal agencies until the following April or May because of missing data from cities and counties.

Federal transportation officials are trying to standardize wreck reports across the nation.

“Some cities and municipalities have electronic capabilities, but our system is designed to handle every crash report written in the entire state,” Brown said. Alabama’s wreck report form had not been updated since 1999.

http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2009/06/alabama_state_troopers_have_la.html

NRMA Insurance is calling on car manufacturers to improve bumper bar design after testing revealed poor-performing bumpers can contribute to higher smash repair costs.

The NRMA Insurance testing program, the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, puts the spotlight on bumper performance in a simulated 10km/h collision – the most common type of road crash.

The test was used on nine of Australia’s top selling small vehicles and revealed inconsistent repair costs ranging from around $1000 to more than $7000.

NRMA Insurance Head of Research Robert McDonald said the cars’ bumper designs had a big impact on the amount of damage caused in low speed collisions.

“The test results show a vast difference in repair prices across the range of vehicles tested, as a poorly designed bumper can slide under other bumpers on impact, causing more damage to both vehicles,” Mr McDonald said.

“We are certainly urging consumers to consider repair costs when looking for a new car as repair costs can have a significant impact on the insurance premium they will pay,” he said.

Of the vehicle’s tested, the Honda Civic was the most expensive to repair, costing an estimated $7,386 or 31.4 per cent of its purchase price.

“The Suzuki Swift also registered a disappointing result, with damage after a low speed crash costing $5,547.15 or 34.7 per cent of its purchase price.” Mr McDonald said.

“We are however really pleased with the performance of the Toyota Corolla, as the repair cost of this vehicle after a low speed collision, was just $1,019 or 4.4 per cent as a percentage of its purchase price,” Mr McDonald said.

This year’s results also discredit the argument that pedestrian-friendly bumpers don’t protect the vehicle from damage.

“Both the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic scored similar leg protection results in the EURO NCAP pedestrian safety program, yet the repair costs of these vehicles differ dramatically,” according to Mr McDonald.

“This proves that manufacturers can design vehicles that can perform well in both pedestrian safety and vehicle protection.”

The NRMA Insurance low speed crash test program was designed in conjunction with research centres in six other countries to assist car manufacturers improve vehicle design, and to help keep the cost of collision repairs affordable.

“The new crash apparatus uses a ‘roller coaster’ type device to simulate a 10km/h collision, allowing us to accurately compare the costs of repairs.

“The first round of testing has initially looked at some of the best selling small cars in Australia. We will be working with car manufacturers over the next 12 months to expand the program,” Mr McDonald said.

While design enhancements may largely go unnoticed by vehicle owners, they can have a sizeable impact on the cost of insurance.

“We encourage motorists to consider the cost of repairing a vehicle before they make their purchase, as a bargain in the showroom may not be such a good deal when taking the cost of insurance and repairs into account,” added Mr McDonald.

The NRMA Insurance testing program, the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere, puts the spotlight on bumper performance in a simulated 10km/h collision – the most common type of road crash.

The test was used on nine of Australia’s top selling small vehicles and revealed inconsistent repair costs ranging from around $1000 to more than $7000.

NRMA Insurance Head of Research Robert McDonald said the cars’ bumper designs had a big impact on the amount of damage caused in low speed collisions.

“The test results show a vast difference in repair prices across the range of vehicles tested, as a poorly designed bumper can slide under other bumpers on impact, causing more damage to both vehicles,” Mr McDonald said.

“We are certainly urging consumers to consider repair costs when looking for a new car as repair costs can have a significant impact on the insurance premium they will pay,” he said.

Of the vehicle’s tested, the Honda Civic was the most expensive to repair, costing an estimated $7,386 or 31.4 per cent of its purchase price.

“The Suzuki Swift also registered a disappointing result, with damage after a low speed crash costing $5,547.15 or 34.7 per cent of its purchase price.” Mr McDonald said.

“We are however really pleased with the performance of the Toyota Corolla, as the repair cost of this vehicle after a low speed collision, was just $1,019 or 4.4 per cent as a percentage of its purchase price,” Mr McDonald said.

This year’s results also discredit the argument that pedestrian-friendly bumpers don’t protect the vehicle from damage.

“Both the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic scored similar leg protection results in the EURO NCAP pedestrian safety program, yet the repair costs of these vehicles differ dramatically,” according to Mr McDonald.

“This proves that manufacturers can design vehicles that can perform well in both pedestrian safety and vehicle protection.”

The NRMA Insurance low speed crash test program was designed in conjunction with research centres in six other countries to assist car manufacturers improve vehicle design, and to help keep the cost of collision repairs affordable.

“The new crash apparatus uses a ‘roller coaster’ type device to simulate a 10km/h collision, allowing us to accurately compare the costs of repairs.

“The first round of testing has initially looked at some of the best selling small cars in Australia. We will be working with car manufacturers over the next 12 months to expand the program,” Mr McDonald said.

While design enhancements may largely go unnoticed by vehicle owners, they can have a sizeable impact on the cost of insurance.

“We encourage motorists to consider the cost of repairing a vehicle before they make their purchase, as a bargain in the showroom may not be such a good deal when taking the cost of insurance and repairs into account,” added Mr McDonald.