The Distracted Driver
How many times have you had to swerve or stop abruptly when you have been driving – and then realized it was because the other driver was on their cell phone? How often do you talk on your cell phone when you’re driving? Even worse, what about text messaging? Or emailing on your Blackberry with one and while driving with the other? I’m sure each of us has been in one of the above situations. It shouldn’t matter whether it’s just a quick call, or a quick text, maybe to find out where you need to go, or get directions. The reality of it is, though, that it is difficult to consider the consequences of such choices – to make a quick call, etc. – because in our society today, we are used to convenience and fulfilling instant demands or needs. Think twice about your safety, the safety of your family, of other drivers around you, pedestrians, and bikers. Some may be strangers, but you need to consider whether it’s really worth making that call. Unless it’s an emergency, it can probably wait another few minutes.
Cell Phone Use Can Cause You To Be 4 Times More Likely To Be Involved In An Accident
Moreover, at an International Conference on Distracted Driving in October 2005, it was reported that amongst many distractions available to the average driver today, cell phone use while driving can cause you to be about four times more likely to be involved in an accident. Hopefully, if you get into an accident, injuries and damage to yourself and others are minimal, but the reality of the situation is that they can be very serious. What can further exacerbate and worsen the situation, is that your driving history will be tarnished and your car insurance rate, in the light of a serious at-fault accident, will most certainly increase.
Accidents and Your Auto Insurance Rate
To show you the numbers, we used the kanetix quotemaker, and compared a 2004 Honda Civic driver in Toronto with a clean driving history before an at-fault accident; and with a now, not-so-clean driving history after an at-fault accident. We looked at the differences between two companies (Company A and B) before and after an at-fault accident.
| Company A | Company B | |
| Before at-fault accident | $1,633 | $1,895 |
| After at-fault accident | $3,290 | $2,299 |
Surprised? Shocked? Scared, even?
Before the accident, it would have made sense to go with Company A since it offers a cheaper rate. But after an accident, Company B’s rate is much more appealing. Unfortunately, once you’ve signed on with a company, it’s a bit more complicated than just switching over to Company B. Every insurance company calculates their rates and prices in a different way because they weigh risks in different ways. Company A may work for you if you have a clean driving record, but Company B may work better for you if you are likely to get into an accident.
What’s The Answer to Keeping Insurance Rates Low When You Have Been In An Accident?
The answer to keeping your insurance rates as low as possible is to compare. When you look for auto insurance, compare quotes as well as coverage policies from different companies. This is by far the best way to make sure that you get what you need at the best price. If you know you’re likely to get into an accident, you will want to make sure that you have extra collision coverage. If you know that your car is likely to be stolen, it’s a good idea to get extra comprehensive (comprehensive covers fire, flood, vandalism, and theft) coverage in your policy.
By far the best place that you can compare quotes and coverage, is at http://www.kanetix.ca/auto-insurance. You can get free, personalized quotes, from many of the top insurance companies in Canada. Compare the quotes and the coverage, and make sure that you have the best auto insurance that suits you.
