Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for High Risk Drivers in South Carolina?

Determining which company offers the cheapest insurance rates for high risk drivers will involve a little more sweat than just comparing rates from one or two companies.

Every insurance company used slightly different criteria to set policy rates, so let’s take a look at the most affordable insurance companies in South Carolina.

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The Hartford may offer some of the lowest car insurance rates in South Carolina at around $768 each year. USAA, State Auto, Auto-Owners, and Southern Farm Bureau would also be considered some of the most economical South Carolina car insurance companies.

In the rate table above, if you are currently insured with Southern Farm Bureau and switched to USAA, you may realize an annual savings of upwards of $253. Insureds with SC Farm Bureau Mutual could save as much as $265 a year, and National Grange Mutual insureds might see rate reductions of $380 a year.

To find out how your current rates compare, click here to begin a quote or click several companies below for low rates.

Be aware that those policy prices are averaged for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and do not factor in a rate increase for high risk drivers. So the auto insurance company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the list of companies shown earlier. That illustrates why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own personal information and vehicle type.

The safety and performance level of the vehicle you are trying to insure is a significant factor that determines whether or not you find the best insurance for high risk drivers. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, an excellent safety record, or low incidents of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than high performance models.

The lists below estimates auto insurance premiums for a handful of the most affordable vehicles to buy coverage for.

Data rating is based on single female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in your specific South Carolina location which can revise premiums substantially.

Data based on single female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in specific zip code location which can impact coverage rates substantially.

Data variables include single female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Prices do not factor in specific location which can lower or raise premium rates substantially.

One of the key considerations that is looked at to determine the annual cost of car insurance is your zip code in South Carolina. Cities with larger populations like Goose Creek, Charleston, and Summerville will most likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion generally pay lower car insurance rates.

The next table ranks the priciest cities in South Carolina for high risk drivers to buy auto insurance in.

Rate information is estimated as the garaging address in South Carolina can modify premium rates noticeably.

Which major car insurance company is best?

When comparing car insurance, four of the best places to start are State Farm, Geico, Allstate, and Progressive. They all have unique coverages that may influence your buying decision. The next table compares ratings and policy coverage options offered by each one.

Who has the cheapest insurance quotes for high risk drivers?

You have many ways to get affordable insurance quotes in South Carolina, but the three most common are through a captive (or exclusive) agency such as Auto-Owners or State Farm, an independent or non-exclusive agent, or direct from companies such as Geico or Progressive.

Each way has the same basic process, but they differ slightly in how they give price quotes.

Independent agents work with multiple companies and can get rate quotes from each one. Independent agents are not limited to a single company and can give you more rates, which can give you the best shot at cutting your rates. If cheaper coverage is found, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to do anything.

An exclusive agent is contracted to one insurance company like an Auto-Owners or State Farm agent. These agents are not able to provide rate quotes from other companies, so if prices are high they cannot provide alternatives.

The third popular method of shopping for insurance is direct, which means you forego an independent or exclusive agent and instead buy direct online or over the phone from a company like Progressive or Geico. Shopping for insurance direct may be good for drivers who have an average risk profile and have knowledge of the limitations of insurance.

So out of those three methods, which one works best for finding the cheapest car insurance for high risk drivers in South Carolina? The majority of people assume that shopping direct yields the cheapest rates since no commissions are paid to an agent, but that is generally not the case. We could also assume that using an independent agent guarantees the best prices since they can quote with many companies, but again, it’s not a sure thing. In a lot of cases, exclusive agencies may have very competitive prices that are well below what direct and independents offer.

Because of the variability of insurance rates, the best method to get the lowest rate is to do a thorough rate comparison. It’s recommended that drivers get prices from all three to give yourself the best selection. For a list of companies with online discounts, click here to view.