The vehicle model to be insured is a large consideration that determines whether or not you find cheaper insurance for drivers with accidents. Vehicles with high performance features, poor safety ratings, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost more to insure than safer models.
The list below ranks auto insurance prices for a selection of the most affordable vehicles to insure.
Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,981 |
Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $2,048 |
Toyota Prius | $2,128 |
Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $2,199 |
Chevrolet Traverse LT AWD | $2,230 |
Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $2,297 |
Ford Edge SE 2WD | $2,312 |
Chevrolet Malibu LS | $2,322 |
Toyota Camry LE | $2,332 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $2,322 |
Hyundai Tucson Limited 4WD | $2,328 |
Subaru Outback 2.5I | $2,324 |
Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $2,346 |
Subaru Forester XT AWD | $2,414 |
Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $2,426 |
Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $2,431 |
Hyundai Santa Fe GLS 4WD | $2,426 |
Toyota Sienna CE | $2,432 |
Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $2,440 |
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4WD 4-Dr | $2,440 |
Toyota Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $2,442 |
Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $2,463 |
Chevrolet Impala LT | $2,469 |
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Price data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Premium costs do not factor in specific South Carolina garaging location which can impact premium rates greatly.
Based upon the rates shown, you can see that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, and Ford Explorer will definitely be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for drivers with at-fault accidents. Prices will trend higher because of the fact that there is more claim risk for drivers with accidents, but generally speaking those particular models will probably have the lowest insurance rates compared to all other vehicles.
For drivers with at-fault accidents, one of the more important criteria used to establish the amount you pay for auto insurance is where your car is garaged in South Carolina. Areas with increased crime or more people like Florence, Goose Creek, and North Charleston are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas areas with less congestion have the benefit of cheap car insurance for drivers with accidents in South Carolina.
The illustration below lists the highest-priced areas in South Carolina for drivers with accidents to buy an auto insurance policy in.
Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Florence | $1,311 |
2 | Charleston | $1,285 |
3 | Goose Creek | $1,284 |
4 | Summerville | $1,252 |
5 | North Charleston | $1,250 |
6 | Sumter | $1,239 |
7 | Columbia | $1,225 |
8 | Mount Pleasant | $1,225 |
9 | Socastee | $1,199 |
10 | Myrtle Beach | $1,186 |
11 | Hilton Head Island | $1,173 |
12 | Saint Andrews | $1,160 |
13 | Greenwood | $1,143 |
14 | Rock Hill | $1,135 |
15 | North Augusta | $1,128 |
16 | Anderson | $1,127 |
17 | Spartanburg | $1,116 |
18 | Greenville | $1,100 |
19 | Aiken | $1,097 |
20 | Taylors | $1,095 |
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Rate information is estimated as the vehicle garaging location can revise premium rates considerably.
In a perfect world, the ideal way to earn low auto insurance premiums in South Carolina for drivers with at-fault accidents is to be a safe driver and avoid accidents and keep your driving record clean. The example below shows how violations and fender-benders can affect car insurance rates for different age categories. The costs are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawVioqcibChart);function drawVioqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘No Violations or Accidents’, ‘One Speeding Ticket and No Accidents’, ‘One Speeding Ticket and One Accident’],[‘Age 20’, 2895,3141,3835],[‘Age 30’, 1523,1769,2465],[‘Age 40’, 1463,1705,2401],[‘Age 50’, 1339,1583,2279],[‘Age 60’, 1313,1559,2253],[‘Age 70’, 1505,1753,2445]]);var options = {title: ‘Impact of Tickets and Claims on South Carolina Auto Insurance Prices’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 600,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},colors:[‘#b2da64′,’#eed355′,’#e39e71’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in South Carolina’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);formatter.format(data,3);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibvio’));chart.draw(data, options);}
In the previous chart, the average cost of auto insurance in South Carolina per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $1,673. Receive one speeding ticket and the average cost increases to $1,918, an increase of $245 each year. Then add in one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of auto insurance for drivers with accidents jumps again to an average of $2,613. That’s an increase of $940, or $78 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!
Insurance providers that sell policies for drivers with accidents may also give you premium discounts that could lower prices by as much as 35% if you meet specific criteria. Larger auto insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be found below.
Discount | Progressive | Allstate | Geico | State Farm | Farmers | Nationwide |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Multiple policies | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Multiple vehicles | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Theft prevention | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Safe vehicle | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Passive restraint | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Running lights | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Newer vehicle | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Hybrid vehicle | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
Safe driver | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Defensive driver | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Armed forces | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Affinity/occupation | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Pay in full | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Email statements | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Brand loyalty | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Good grades | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Student at college | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Own a home | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Seat belt use | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
Get quote online | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Get Quotes Go |
The chart below compares insurance costs with and without some available policy discounts. The premiums are based on a female driver, no speeding tickets and one accident, South Carolina state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with continuous coverage, multiple vehicle, multiple policy, vehicle safety, paperless filing, and homeowner discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, the the amount saved on auto insurance for drivers with accidents is 13% or $412.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDiscqcibChart);function drawDiscqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Female Driver No Discounts’, ‘Female Driver with Discounts’],[‘Age 20’, 4519,3239],[‘Age 30’, 3371,2429],[‘Age 40’, 3187,2295],[‘Age 50’, 2891,2083],[‘Age 60’, 2825,2037],[‘Age 70’, 3165,2271]]);var options = {title: ‘Effect of Discounts on Insurance Rates for Drivers with Accidents’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’:{left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#c096ca’, ‘#e1b7ec’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdisc’));chart.draw(data, options);}
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are a few penny-pinching solutions that can help South Carolina drivers find the cheapest auto insurance.
The last suggestion is extraordinarily important, as was stressed in the article above. Insurance rates fluctuate constantly, so don’t be afraid to switch carriers if you find a cheaper price.
Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but it’s not recommended if your bullheadedness ends up costing you several hundred dollars every year. It takes less than five minutes to compare rates and find cheaper car insurance for drivers with accidents.
Drivers have a lot of ways to find affordable auto insurance in South Carolina, but the most popular are from a non-exclusive or independent agent, an exclusive insurance agency such as Allstate or Liberty Mutual, or from a direct company like Geico or Progressive.
They all have the same basic principle, but it’s good to know the differences in how they provide rate quotes.
Independent insurance agents are appointed by several companies and can compare rates with each one. These types of agents are appointed with more than one company and can compare multiple rates, which may provide you with better odds of saving money. If a cheaper price is found, your agent can just switch to a different company and you don’t have to do anything.
A captive, or exclusive, agent is able to quote prices with just one company such as State Farm and Allstate agents. These agents usually cannot provide other companys’ prices, so it’s a take it or leave it situation.
When you buy auto insurance direct, you bypass the middleman (the agent) and instead buy from a direct company like Progressive. This auto insurance option may be the best choice families who do not need high levels of coverage and have knowledge of how their policy works.
What is the best method for finding cheap car insurance for drivers with accidents in South Carolina? We’d like to say buying from a direct car insurance company yields the cheapest rates since it doesn’t require paying agent commissions, but that generally is not the case. We’d also like to say an independent agency guarantees the cheapest rates since they have more companies to choose from, but again, it’s not necessarily true. For some people, the exclusive agents have really good rates that are the lowest in South Carolina.
Because there are so many factors that make up auto insurance rates, the best method to find out which one is cheapest is to compare lots of quotes. The ideal approach is to get price quotes all three ways in order to have enough rates to compare. For a list of auto insurance companies with low rates, click here to view.