How Much is Auto Insurance for First-time Drivers in Virginia?

The vehicle model you are buying coverage for is one of the biggest factors that determines whether or not you find cheap car insurance for first-time drivers in Virginia. Vehicles with more horsepower, poor safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than safer models. The next list ranks car insurance rates for the most budget-friendly vehicles to buy insurance for.

Table data assumes single male driver age 16, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Virginia minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Price information does not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can decrease or increase auto insurance rates greatly.

Looking at the rates, we can expect makes and models like the Honda Accord, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Traverse are most likely to be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for new drivers. The price for an auto insurance policy will trend higher because there is more liability exposure for first-time drivers, but overall those models will most likely have the cheapest auto insurance rates that you’ll find.

When shopping for cheaper insurance for new drivers, one of the many factors that is used to calculate car insurance rates is where you live in Virginia. Areas that are more densely populated or have higher claim rates like Alexandria, Centreville, and Dale City tend to pay higher rates, whereas cities that are not as densely populated profit from lower rates.

The information below shows the most expensive places in Virginia for first-time drivers to buy auto insurance in.

Rates are approximated as the garaging address in Virginia can impact prices considerably.

Deciding which insurers offer the cheapest insurance rates for first-time drivers will take a little more effort than just getting one or two price quotes.

Each company has their own process to determine premium rates, so let’s look at the rankings for the most competitive insurance companies in Virginia. We do need to point out that Virginia insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that can increase the price you have to pay for coverage. Simply getting older, buying a home, or getting a few speeding tickets may generate price changes that may make certain companies cheaper than others.

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Travelers normally has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Virginia at around $679 each year. USAA, Cincinnati Insurance, Penn National, and Auto-Owners are also some of the more affordable Virginia car insurance companies.

As illustrated above, if you are insured with Auto-Owners and switched to USAA, you may see an annual premium reduction of in the vicinity of $77. Policyholders with Utica National may save as much as $93 a year, and The Hartford customers might reduce prices by as much as $97 a year.

Understand that those premium estimates are averages across all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and and are not calculated with a price surcharge for first-time drivers. So the company that fits your age and vehicle best may not even be in the above list. That emphasizes why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.

The information below highlights how deductible choice can impact insurance costs when researching cheap insurance for first-time drivers. The rates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

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The data above shows that a 40-year-old driver could lower their policy premium by $238 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $358 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, such as the 20-year-old example, could save as much as $586 each year just by choosing larger deductibles. If you do make the decision to raise your deductibles, it is necessary to have additional savings on hand to allow you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main disadvantage of using high deductibles.

Reckless driving habits raise Virginia insurance rates

The easiest way to find cheap car insurance for first-time drivers in Virginia is to drive cautiously and avoid accidents and violations. The chart below demonstrates how citations and at-fault accidents can increase premium costs for different insured age categories. The prices are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawVioqcibChart);function drawVioqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘No Violations or Accidents’, ‘Two Speeding Tickets and No Accidents’, ‘Two Speeding Tickets and One Accident’],[‘Age 20’, 2001,2439,2877],[‘Age 30’, 1053,1495,1931],[‘Age 40’, 1019,1457,1893],[‘Age 50’, 933,1371,1807],[‘Age 60’, 913,1355,1791],[‘Age 70’, 1051,1491,1929]]);var options = {title: ‘Violations, Accidents, and Virginia Car 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 Virginia’,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 example above, the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with no violations or accidents is $1,162. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $1,601, an increase of $440 each year. Then add one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of insurance for first-time drivers goes up to an average of $2,038. That’s an increase of $876, or $73 per month, just for not being more responsible behind the wheel!

Find cheap car insurance for first-time drivers in Virginia

Below you’ll find some of the recommended thrifty solutions that can help you quote cheaper car insurance.

• Maintain a safe distance and avoid accidents
• Increase physical damage deductibles
• Older vehicles may not need full coverage
• Claim-free policyholders usually earn a discount
• Save money by observing traffic laws and speed limits
• Compare rates and switch if you can find a better deal

The last tip is particularly crucial, as we noted in the prior article. Car insurance rates can change considerably based on profitability, so don’t be afraid to switch to a new company if you find a better deal.

Many consumers stick with the same company and that’s fine, but it’s not a good idea if that loyalty results in overpaying thousands of dollars over the life of your policy. If you have a few minutes, now is a great time to compare prices to find cheaper insurance for first-time drivers.