Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in South Carolina

Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in South Carolina

The words “affordable” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, specifically when you are trying to find the lowest insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record. To save some money, let’s take a look at a few of the factors that have an effect on car insurance rates, and see if we can help you reduce the cost of your next policy.

When shopping for the cheapest auto insurance for bad drivers, one of the many components that aid in calculating the annual cost of car insurance is where you normally keep your vehicle. Areas that are more densely populated or have higher claim rates like Florence, Charleston, and North Charleston tend to pay slightly more, whereas more rural areas can boast about having cheaper rates.

The illustration below illustrates the highest-priced areas in South Carolina for drivers with a bad driving record to purchase auto insurance in.

Car insurance prices in South Carolina
Rank City Annual Rate
1 Florence $1,311
2 Summerville $1,290
3 Charleston $1,285
4 Goose Creek $1,258
5 North Charleston $1,250
6 Sumter $1,215
7 Socastee $1,199
8 Mount Pleasant $1,189
9 Columbia $1,189
10 Myrtle Beach $1,186
11 Saint Andrews $1,184
12 Greenwood $1,143
13 Hilton Head Island $1,127
14 Greenville $1,100
15 Aiken $1,097
16 North Augusta $1,095
17 Anderson $1,094
18 Spartanburg $1,094
19 Rock Hill $1,091
20 Greer $1,087
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Rate quotes are comparative as specific South Carolina zip code can impact premiums substantially.

Cost and performance of the vehicle you are seeking coverage for is one of the biggest factors in finding cheap auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in South Carolina. Vehicles with high performance engines, poor safety features, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost much more to insure than more economical and safe models.

The data below outlines coverage costs for a selection of the cheaper vehicles to insure.

Car Insurance Rates for Popular Cars in South Carolina
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid $3,618 $1,809 $302
Ford Fusion Sport 4-Dr Sedan $3,822 $1,911 $319
Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan $3,056 $1,528 $255
Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan $3,580 $1,790 $298
Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon $3,056 $1,528 $255
Hyundai Sonata Limited 4-Dr Sedan $4,132 $2,066 $344
Kia Optima EX $4,132 $2,066 $344
Toyota Corolla S $3,784 $1,892 $315
Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon $3,464 $1,732 $289
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Premium data assumes single female driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Rate quotes do not factor in specific South Carolina garaging location which can affect price quotes significantly.

Insurance Rates for Popular SUVs and Crossovers in South Carolina
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Acura MDX Advance/Entertainment 4WD $3,860 $1,930 $322
Chevrolet Traverse LS 2WD $3,094 $1,547 $258
Ford Escape XLS 2WD $3,056 $1,528 $255
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD $3,452 $1,726 $288
GMC Acadia SLT AWD $3,656 $1,828 $305
Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD $3,094 $1,547 $258
Honda Pilot EX-L 4WD $3,656 $1,828 $305
Hyundai Tucson Limited 4WD $3,618 $1,809 $302
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD $3,822 $1,911 $319
Jeep Patriot Limited 4WD $3,618 $1,809 $302
Lexus RX 350 2WD $4,338 $2,169 $362
Nissan Pathfinder SE 2WD $3,452 $1,726 $288
Toyota Highlander Limited 4WD $3,860 $1,930 $322
Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD $3,618 $1,809 $302
Volvo XC90 3.2 AWD $4,028 $2,014 $336
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Table data represents single female driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Table data does not factor in your specific South Carolina location which can impact premium rates greatly.

Car Insurance Rates for Popular Pickup Trucks in South Carolina
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Chevrolet Colorado LT Extended Cab 4WD $3,056 $1,528 $255
Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Crew Cab 2WD $4,338 $2,169 $362
Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD $3,860 $1,930 $322
Chevrolet Silverado LS Extended Cab 2WD $3,928 $1,964 $327
Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 4WD $5,428 $2,714 $452
Dodge Ram Quad Cab ST 2WD $3,762 $1,881 $314
Ford F-150 FX4 Super Cab 4WD $3,656 $1,828 $305
GMC Sierra 2500HD SLT Crew Cab 4WD $3,990 $1,995 $333
GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 2WD $3,618 $1,809 $302
Toyota Tundra Limited Crew MAX 4WD $4,170 $2,085 $348
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Cost estimates assume single female driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Table data does not factor in vehicle location which can impact rates significantly.

Locating budget car insurance is not most people’s favorite thing to do, and determining which companies quote the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record will involve additional perseverance. Insurance rates will most likely be significantly greater than the average price in South Carolina, with the increase attributed to the added risk that goes along with selling insurance for bad drivers, but reasonably-priced coverage should be possible if you shop around. Each auto insurance company uses a little different formula to set their prices, so to begin we’ll rank the car insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in South Carolina.

Best Car Insurance Prices for Imperfect Drivers

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Rankings for the cheapest South Carolina auto insurance companies
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 The Hartford $775
2 USAA $1,015
3 State Auto $1,127
4 Auto-Owners $1,141
5 SC Farm Bureau Mutual $1,260
6 Southern Farm Bureau $1,260
7 National Grange Mutual $1,321
8 Travelers $1,356
9 State Farm $1,366
10 Progressive $1,611
11 Allstate $1,637
12 Encompass $1,691
13 Nationwide $1,814
14 Safe Auto $1,965
15 GEICO $2,041
16 Liberty Mutual $2,415
17 Bristol West $2,493
18 Safeco $2,690
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The Hartford may offer some of the cheapest car insurance rates in South Carolina at around $775 annually. USAA, State Auto, Auto-Owners, and SC Farm Bureau Mutual also make the cut as some of the cheapest South Carolina auto insurance companies.

As shown in the table above, if you currently have a policy with USAA and switched to The Hartford, you could see a yearly price reduction of around $240. Insureds with State Auto might save as much as $352 a year, and Auto-Owners customers might reduce prices by as much as $366 a year.

These policy prices are averages across all types of insureds and vehicles and do not take into consideration a price surcharge for drivers with a bad driving record. So the company that is best suited for you may not even be included in the list of companies shown earlier. That’s why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.

Full coverage rates compared to liability only

Finding cheap auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in South Carolina is probably important to the majority of people, and one of the fastest ways to reduce the cost of insurance is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The chart below compares car insurance costs with full coverage and liability only. The price estimates are based on no claims or driving violations, $500 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied.

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If the expense is averaged for all age categories, physical damage insurance costs $2,146 per year more than just buying liability insurance. A very common question is if physical damage coverage is worth the money. There is no specific rule to stop paying for comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

Finding a good quality insurer is difficult considering how many different companies there are to choose from in South Carolina. The ranking information below can help you pick which companies to look at when comparing rate quotes. The ratings below are only comprised of companies that insure vehicles nationwide, so companies that focus mainly on South Carolina business are not included in this list.

South Carolina Car Insurance Company Rankings
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
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies

Who has the cheapest insurance quotes for bad drivers?

Drivers have many ways to purchase car insurance in South Carolina, but the most popular are either through a captive (or exclusive) agency such as Liberty Mutual or State Farm, an independent insurance agent, or from a direct company like Geico or Progressive. They all have the same basic principle, but it’s important to understand the differences in how they function.

Independent agencies have contracts with many companies and can compare coverage rates with each one. They can quote with many companies and provide you with more rate quotes, which may provide you with more bang for your buck. If the agent locates a cheaper price, they simply switch companies in-house which prevents you from having to switch agents.

A captive or exclusive agent is limited to just one company like Allstate and Liberty Mutual agents. They are unable to quote rates from more than one company, so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do.

If you want to buy car insurance direct, you do not use the middleman (the agent) and instead buy direct online or over the phone from a company like Esurance or Geico. Shopping direct may be the best choice people who have lower risk management needs and have some degree of understanding of what car insurance covers and what it doesn’t.

Which way works best for finding cheap auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in South Carolina? Our initial answer would be buying from a direct company saves money since there is no middleman, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. We could also say that going through an independent agent saves the most money since they have access to many companies, but again, that’s not accurate. And often times, the exclusive agents may have prices that are well below what direct and independents offer.

Since car insurance prices are based on many different factors, really the best method to find out which one is cheapest is to do a thorough rate comparison. We recommend you get prices from all three to have enough rates to compare. For a list of companies with online discounts, click here to view.

Tips for finding the cheapest insurance for drivers with a bad driving record

The list below summarizes some of the recommended thrifty ideas that can help South Carolina drivers locate cheaper coverage.

  • Higher physical damage deductibles lower rates
  • Higher credit scores can equal lower rates
  • Do not get tickets or violations
  • On older vehicles, drop full coverage
  • Avoid accidents and claims
  • Vehicles with good safety ratings have lower liability rates
  • Shop around once a year for cheaper rates

That final tip is extraordinarily crucial, as was affirmed in this write-up. Car insurance rates change constantly, so don’t be unwilling to switch carriers if you can find a cheaper rate.

Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but it’s not a good idea if that dedication is costing lots of hard earned cash every month. Spend a few minutes and compare prices to find cheaper auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record.