What’s an SR22?

An SR22 is Proof of Financial Responsibility and can be required by the DMV for a number of reasons.  A DUI, whether you plead it down or not, a 90 day lapse of insurance, failure to pay child support, accumulating 12 or more points against your license in a 12 month period, hitting a pedestrian or bicyclist, failure to appear, having an at fault accident while uninsured, if you are found guilty of graffiti vandalism, certain firearms offenses, street racing and driving under the influence of drugs. 

Any of these can lead to your Driver’s License being suspended. So can an incorrect or fraudulent application or if your payment for your license is returned for insufficient funds (NSF).  Once your license is suspended you may be required to have an SR22 for at least three years.  The date begins when your license is reinstated.  If you commit any of the above listed offenses while paying for the SR22 your date will be reset. Or if you have a lapse of SR22 coverage the date will be reset.  And, there is no statute of limitations on the SR22 requirement.

What does that mean?  If you need an SR22 in Nevada but move to New York (as an example) for several years then come back to Nevada you will need an SR22 to get your Nevada Driver’s License.  Additionally, New York (or any other state) may require you to have it to get their license. 

How do you get and maintain an SR22 if you need it?  Some companies will add it to your current auto insurance.  Others will not.  Contact us for assistance in either scenario.  

For more information on SR22s or lapse of insurance please go to the Nevada DMV website.  http://dmvnv.com/   

 

Contributed by: Victoria Sutherland, Licensed Insurance Agent

Why are car insurance rates going up in Las Vegas?

Have your car insurance rates gone up this year? You may have no tickets or accidents, your cars are getting older and you have good payment history and yet you still experience rate increases.  Why?!!

We know any rate increase can be frustrating but there is much going on in the market that substantiates prices going up.  

Industry statistics have been provided by Safeco Insurance:  

As of 2015, there are nearly 17.5 million cars on the road.  The more cars on the road the more accidents there are.

3.148 trillion miles were driven in 2015 which is a 3.5% increase over 2014 and the largest annual increase in 25 years.

Bodily Injury Liability accidents have increased by 3%.  

Traffic deaths decreased 22% from 2000-2014.  2015 numbers show a 7.7% increase from 2014!

From 2005 to 2013, the average cost per paid Bodily Injury Liability claim increased by 32.1%. 

Drivers are more distracted. In 2014, 3179 people people were killed and 431,000 were injured as a result of distracted drivers.  Put the cell phone down!!

Safer vehicles mean more expensive claims.  Bumpers with sensors and video cameras cost more to repair and replace.  Side mirrors with blind spot monitoring are much more than a simple side mirror.

How can we save money?  There are several ways:

  1. Price your insurance out before buying a car - the higher the MSRP, the higher the insurance.  Sporty and large vehicles can also be more expensive.

  2. Participate in Telematics.  This is a device or an app that allows your insurance company to monitor the number of miles you drive, the time of day you drive, if you press your brake hard, and if you quickly accelerate.  The better the driver you are, the more of a discount you get.

  3. Talk to your agent about discounts!

    1. Paid in full

    2. Paperless

    3. Multi-policy

    4. Good Student Discount & Drivers Training

    5. Senior Drivers Training

  4. Carpool and drive less miles

  5. Pay in full discount - some companies will discount your premium if you pay in full for 6 months or a year

  6. Paperless discount - ditch the paper and get an e-bill for savings

  7. Multi-policy discount - combine your car insurance with your home, condo or renters insurance

  8. Do not let other people drive your car - your rates can go up if they are in an accident

  9. Buy your insurance at least 8 days before you need it - sounds a little strange but some companies give an Advance Quote Discount

  10. Education and Occupation - ask your agent if there is a discount for your education level and occupation


 

What is Comprehensive Coverage?

Comprehensive is one of the physical damage coverages available on your car insurance policy.  We often refer to this as “Comp” for short.  Comp covers fire, theft, vandalism, glass breakage, falling objects, civil disturbances and hitting an animal.  

If you are financing your car, your finance company will require this coverage.  They also require that they are listed on your policy as the lien holder or lessor.  

Comprehensive does not cover colliding with objects or injuries or roadside.    

To help decide if you need this coverage, estimate the approximate value of your car.  You can use resources such as Kelley Blue Book, NADA and Edmunds.  Compare the cost of the Comp coverage versus what it could cost you if there was a total loss.  Remember that most insurance companies pay out the Actual Cash Value of your car.  This is the replacement value of your vehicle minus depreciation minus your deductible.  

The cost of Comp is partially based on the deductible option you choose.  The higher the deductible, the lower your premium will be.  When you choose a higher deductible, that means there will be more money out of your pocket when there is a claim.  

Some companies offer an enhancement to the glass coverage encompassed within Comprehensive.  This may be referred to as “Glass Buyback” or “Full Glass”.  For a small price, you can have a lower deductible or no deductible at all when there is a glass claim.  Clients who want to pay no deductible or want very little money out of their pocket for a full windshield replacement can benefit from this upgrade.  

 

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