Wouldn’t life be great if we knew the single company that has the best auto insurance prices for drivers with a bad driving record? It’s not that easy, however, as there are a whole slew of unknowns like what deductibles to use for physical damage coverage, where your residence is in Delaware, what coverage limits you need, and if you have any driving citations. The information below covers some of these criteria and educate you enough to have a good start to your coverage search.
Finding reliable, cheap insurance is hard enough, and figuring out which company has the best insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record calls for more quotes for comparison. Premiums should be much greater than the average rate in Delaware, with the extra cost attributed to the potential for more claims associated with offering coverage for bad drivers, but economical insurance may be achievable with some perseverence. Each insurance company uses slightly different criteria for determining rates, so let’s begin by examining the insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in Delaware.
It’s important to know that Delaware insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially decrease or increase the cost of coverage. Simply improving your credit, having a claim, or getting a reckless driving citation can trigger changes in premium that may make certain companies cheaper than competitors.
Find Cheaper Auto Insurance for Imperfect Drivers
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDET5qcibChart);function drawDET5qcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Company’, ‘Rate’, { role: ‘style’ }], [‘USAA’, 840, ‘#33CFCA’], [‘Travelers’, 1084, ‘#2AACA8’], [‘Atlantic States’, 1279, ‘#238F8C’], [‘Nationwide’, 1280, ‘#1D7774’], [‘California Casualty’, 1293, ‘#186360’]]);var options = {title: ‘Top Five Most Affordable Auto Insurance Companies in Delaware’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 300,’chartArea’: {left:0,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},bar: {groupWidth: “90%”},legend: {position: ‘none’},vAxis: {viewWindowMode:’explicit’,viewWindow:{max:1393,min:0}}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});var view = new google.visualization.DataView(data);view.setColumns([0, 1,{ calc: “stringify”,sourceColumn: 1,type: “string”,role: “annotation” },2]);formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.ColumnChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibt5cic’));chart.draw(view, options);}
USAA offers some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Delaware at around $840 annually. Travelers, Atlantic States, Nationwide, and California Casualty also are some of the more affordable Delaware car insurance companies.
In this example, if you buy coverage from Nationwide and switched to Travelers, you might achieve a yearly price reduction of upwards of $196. Delaware drivers with California Casualty might save as much as $209 a year, and Titan customers might lower prices by $247 a year.
To find out how your current rates compare, click here to get quotes or quote rates from the companies below.
It’s important to note that these premiums are averages for all types of insureds and vehicles and and are not calculated with a rate increase for drivers with a bad driving record. So the auto insurance company that is most affordable for your situation may not even be featured in the list above. That’s why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
When shopping for the cheapest car insurance for bad drivers, one of the many components that car insurance companies use when figuring the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where your residence is in Delaware. Regions with more people or even just more weather-related claims like Wilmington, Brookside, and New Castle are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas areas with less congestion have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The information below lists the most expensive places in Delaware for drivers with a bad driving record to purchase auto insurance in.
Rank | City | Annual Rate |
---|---|---|
1 | Wilmington | $2,246 |
2 | Wilmington Manor | $2,235 |
3 | Brookside | $2,207 |
4 | Edgemoor | $2,184 |
5 | New Castle | $2,184 |
6 | Middletown | $2,132 |
7 | Claymont | $2,069 |
8 | Newark | $2,024 |
9 | Bear | $2,021 |
10 | Hockessin | $2,000 |
11 | Elsmere | $1,988 |
12 | Pike Creek | $1,960 |
13 | Smyrna | $1,817 |
14 | Harrington | $1,660 |
15 | Dover | $1,658 |
16 | Highland Acres | $1,656 |
17 | Milford | $1,650 |
18 | Laurel | $1,634 |
19 | Seaford | $1,623 |
20 | Camden | $1,606 |
Get a Custom Quote Go |
Prices are estimated as the vehicle garaging location can lower or raise coverage prices noticeably.
The vehicle requiring coverage is probably the largest consideration when consumers are trying to find the best cheap car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in Delaware. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, good crash test ratings, or low incidents of liability claims will cost much less to insure than fast, unsafe models. The data below presents car insurance costs for a handful of the more afforable vehicles to insure.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Malibu LS | $4,356 | $2,178 | $363 |
Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $4,534 | $2,267 | $378 |
Ford Fusion Sport AWD 4-Dr Sedan | $4,934 | $2,467 | $411 |
Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $4,534 | $2,267 | $378 |
Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan | $4,930 | $2,465 | $411 |
Nissan Altima Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $4,646 | $2,323 | $387 |
Toyota Camry LE | $4,356 | $2,178 | $363 |
Toyota Corolla XRS | $4,646 | $2,323 | $387 |
Get a Custom Quote for Your Car Go |
Table data represents married male driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Delaware minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy. Price information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can lower or raise premiums substantially.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Acura MDX with Tech/Entertainment 4WD | $4,702 | $2,351 | $392 |
Chevrolet Suburban LS 2WD | $4,412 | $2,206 | $368 |
Chevrolet Traverse LT 2WD | $3,786 | $1,893 | $316 |
Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $3,674 | $1,837 | $306 |
Ford Expedition XLT 2WD | $4,020 | $2,010 | $335 |
Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $4,412 | $2,206 | $368 |
GMC Acadia SL 2WD | $4,066 | $2,033 | $339 |
Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $3,674 | $1,837 | $306 |
Honda Pilot EX 4WD | $4,178 | $2,089 | $348 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $4,356 | $2,178 | $363 |
Lexus RX 350 2WD | $5,274 | $2,637 | $440 |
Toyota 4Runner SR/5 4WD | $4,020 | $2,010 | $335 |
Toyota Highlander Limited 2WD | $4,702 | $2,351 | $392 |
Toyota RAV4 2WD | $4,356 | $2,178 | $363 |
Volvo XC90 V8 AWD | $4,934 | $2,467 | $411 |
Get a Custom Quote for Your SUV or Crossover Go |
Data assumes married male driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Delaware minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Price information does not factor in specific location information which can decrease or increase premiums substantially.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Crew Cab 4WD | $4,646 | $2,323 | $387 |
Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab Hybrid 4WD | $4,934 | $2,467 | $411 |
Dodge Ram 2500 Crew Cab SLT 4WD | $5,042 | $2,521 | $420 |
Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab SLT 2WD | $4,988 | $2,494 | $416 |
Dodge Ram Quad Cab SLT 2WD | $4,752 | $2,376 | $396 |
Ford F-150 Lariat Super Cab 2WD | $4,412 | $2,206 | $368 |
Ford F-350 Super Cab Lariat 2WD | $4,756 | $2,378 | $396 |
GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 2WD | $4,646 | $2,323 | $387 |
Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $4,300 | $2,150 | $358 |
Toyota Tundra Regular Cab 2WD | $4,406 | $2,203 | $367 |
Get a Custom Quote for Your Truck Go |
Table data represents married male driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Delaware minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Table data does not factor in garaging location in Delaware which can decrease or increase prices noticeably.
Finding the best cheap car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in Delaware is the goal of the majority of drivers, and one easy way to pay less for insurance is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The example below compares annual premium costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The premiums assume a clean driving record, no claims, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawFclqcibChart);function drawFclqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Full Coverage with $1,000 Deductibles’, ‘Liability Only’],[‘Age 20’, 3917,1619],[‘Age 30’, 2047,885],[‘Age 40’, 1997,819],[‘Age 50’, 1827,767],[‘Age 60’, 1775,755],[‘Age 70’, 2211,1011]]);var options = {title: ‘Rate Comparison of Full Coverage and Liability Only’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#6791b9′,’#98bee2’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in Delaware’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},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(‘qcibfcl’));chart.draw(data, options);}
If all age groups are averaged, full coverage costs $2,296 per year over liability only. At some point, about every driver wonders if physical damage coverage is worth the money. There is no definitive rule that is best for determining when to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s claim settlement value is $9,500 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would get paid by your company is $8,500 after paying your deductible. If premiums are more than $850 a year for physical damage coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
There are some circumstances where dropping physical damage coverage is not advised. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Choosing the top insurer can be rather challenging considering how many companies sell coverage in Delaware. The information shown next could help you pick which providers to look at when shopping insurance around for drivers with a bad driving record. The rankings below include companies with a nationwide focus, so companies without a large exposure are not taken into consideration for the list.
Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
21st Century | 86 | 82 | 90 | 84% | A | 86.4 |
Liberty Mutual | 79 | 87 | 95 | 78% | A | 85.3 |
Farmers Insurance | 77 | 80 | 80 | 84% | A | 80.3 |
Compare Rates Now Go |
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
The list below summarizes many thrifty solutions that can help you buy more affordable auto insurance.
The last item on the list is particularly crucial, as was noted in this article. Car insurance rates can be changed at any time, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to switch carriers if you can find a cheaper rate. Many consumers stick with the same company and that’s fine, but it’s not a great idea if that faithfulness ends up costing you a lot of money. If you have a few minutes, shop around and find cheaper car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record.