My Car Insurance Life |

C.L. Hendricks asked:


You may wonder why should you know your car insurance companies. One very good reason is that in the event of an accident you would be less likely to accept a false proof of insurance. How’s that possible?

A few months ago my car was hit while I was sitting at a stop sign waiting to turn left. The other driver coming from my right cut the corner before realizing there was a car there. Needless to say it was a head-on collision, but thankfully she was slowing to turn.When the time came to exchange insurance information, she handed me a letter on official letterhead that gave a policy number for auto insurance.  The letterhead said “DriveTime”. I’d heard about DriveTime as being a place where one could easily get an auto loan.  I never questioned the validity of the “proof” of insurance I was given.

I found out later, when I tried to file a claim for repairs with the other insurance company, that DriveTime insurance ONLY covers their car.  It is a comprehensive coverage that protects DriveTime against any loss. However, it is up to the car buyer to obtain liability coverage from another source.

So before you get stuck with a “proof of insurance” that is no proof at all, glance at the list below just to get an idea of those real full-coverage auto insurance companies. These are American insurance companies with a strong regional and national presence.

* American National Insurance Company

* American Automobile Association

* AIG

* Allstate

* American Family Insurance

* American Farmers and Ranchers Mutual

* Amica

* Auto-Owners Insurance

* California Casualty Insurance

* CapitalOne

* Commerce Insurance Group

* COUNTRY Insurance & Financial Services

* Cuna Mutual Group

* Electric Insurance Company

* Esurance

* Expatriate Insurance

* Farm Bureau Insurance

* Farmers Insurance

* Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Company

* GAINSCO Auto Insurance

* GMAC Insurance

* Geico

* The General

* GuideOne

* Hanover Insurance

* The Hartford

* Hastings Mutual Insurance Company

* Haulers Insurance Company

* Infinity Auto Insurance Company

* Liberty Mutual

* Nationwide Insurance

* National Interstate

* Metropolitan Life Insurance Company

* Mutual of Enumclaw

* OneBeacon Insurance Group

* Pekin Insurance

* Pemco

* Progressive

* Safeco

* Safeway Insurance Group

* Standard Insurance Company

* State Auto Insurance Companies

* Shelter Insurance Companies

* Solid Insurance Group

* State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company

* The St. Paul Travelers Companies, Inc.

* Trustgard Insurance

* Unitrin Direct Auto Insurance

* USAA

* Wawanesa

* Westfield Insurance

Of course, there are a lot more insurance companies that this, but this is a list of the most common. So if someone gives you a proof of  insurance that doesn’t sound like a company name that you are familiar with, make sure you get all of the contact information, including their driver’s license number…just in case.

Allan asked:


So many people ask as why their car needs insurance as they are taking good care of it. Normally they say that they provide best security to it and they are very conscious drivers so that nothing can happen with them. But, they ignore the misfortune part which is the sole cause of any bad happening with a vehicle. And car insurance UK takes care of these misfortunes so that if it happens then you may not suffer to a larger extent.

This is a fact of life that misfortune can happen with any one and anything and your car is also not an exception. Sometimes, a little petrol leakage and a small electric spark can turn your car into a really bad shape. Sometimes the driver of your car might be looking at some beautiful scenery while driving or he/she can be fatigued, also sometimes he/she might be reading newspaper or some other documents and all these drivers are distracted drivers. Your car can fall victim to a serious accident due to these distracted drivers.

Accident is a common misfortune but what about car theft or just attempt of theft. A website www.insurancewide.com reports that car theft in the UK (excluding London) ranges from 1 per 1,000 people to 34 per 1,000 people and 64% of car crime in the UK happens when vehicles are parked close to the owner’s home. According to the same report 17% of car crime in the UK takes place in a public car parking space and 40% occurs in the hours of daylight.

Furthermore, it also says that over 2 million motor vehicle crimes occur each year in the UK which is equivalent to 20% of all recorded crimes. Now, you might have understood the gravity of the issue. And as you know that car insurance UK protects your car against theft, attempt of theft, fire, vandalism and road accidents. So, opting for car insurance would be a wise decision for the safety of your car so that you do not face bad financial implications in any such misfortune.

Catherine Harvey asked:


The news that fuel is on the increase yet again is everywhere. It’s not so long ago that there were strikes and shortages in a bid to shake the government into reducing the tax on oil products and yet here we are, just a few short years later, looking at over-inflated prices for our petrol and diesel. Car insurance is on the increase to cover the amount that companies pay out for when immigrants flout the insurance laws and do damage to other peoples vehicles. With these two facts coming together it’s a wonder anyone can afford to keep a car anymore.

But all is not lost. Car manufacturers are constantly working on electric vehicles to replace the petrol ones but it’s been slow coming. The problem has been that consumers are disappointed with the performance of electric cars but one company at least are overcoming this.

With a top speed of 125mph and doing 0 - 60mph in 3.9 seconds, the Tesla Roadster is an electric sports car to be proud of. Faster than a Lotus and as sleek as a Ferrari, this car should leave the competition standing. It is fast becoming the must have in Hollywood for those who are eco conscious, including George Clooney and Matt Damon, and is about to be released to the UK public who want to either reduce their carbon footprint or reduce their vehicle expenses.

Electric cars have always been much cheaper to run and car insurance companies favour them but, at best, they have so far managed a 48 mile range. That’s easy mileage to do just poodling around town, let alone on a long journey. They also need lead-acid batteries which have their own implications for the environment and need replacing every three years at a cost of 1,300 pounds each! Needing eight hours to fully charge, the whole idea that an electric car would be feasible has much with a good deal of opposition.

For some reason, manufacturers have struggled to make an electric car look anything other than silly. In fact, most of them look like the type your children pull back and then watch whiz across the floor. The hybrid vehicles, which run on a combination of petrol and battery have been the better looking option that are still cheaper to run than a complete petrol engine.

However, if you are concerned about the environment and you want to do your bit, if you’re interested in keeping down running costs and car insurance and if you are in the market for an electric car that costs almost 80,000 pounds you should at least be able to command that your car look more like a serious statement rather than a toy.

British engineering has come together with entrepreneurs from the US and PayPal founder Elon Musk, all with further investments from the founders of Google to bring the sleekest, sportiest, highest performance electric sports car invented to date. Battery recharging takes a mere three hours but will now last a much more impressive 220 miles.

So, how have they done this? To keep it simple they’ve used a different type of battery to the norm. Essentially, it is a much bigger version of a mobile phone battery and produces a stunning performance with a lifespan of 100,000 miles. Current orders of the Tesla have outstripped demand until 2009 in the US so let’s hope all the hype is justified, but more than that, let’s hope it brings an end to fuel tax keeping us over a barrel and car insurance forever rising.

Kristine Reeves asked:


In present economic system, we are all looking at ways to preserve buck in each aspect of our lives and this does include Motorcar Insurance Policy, however, many people believe they cannot determine a better bargain that extends the benefits they now have with their Insurance Policy carrier.

The best way to determine the tightest Car Insurance Policy is by learning exactly what you make for your money. If you only acquire third party coverage, you may be in big difficulty if your personal Car is totaled or you are placed in the hospital with rising medical checkup bills. Your Car Insurance will only bear for others and will not bear for your medical checkup bills or to substitute your Car or even have it set so it will run.

The idea behind finding the Less Expensive Car Indemnity in the United Kingdom is by looking for the deductions you can get. This can greatly trim the amount you have to bear and then you may be capable to give comprehensive coverage.

A few Motorcar Insurance Policy organisations offer positive rebates for safe drivers. This would be discovered on your motoring profile. If you get never had an accident or been given a fine, you get excellent chances of getting this rebate.

You may even be capable to receive rebates for the brand of your car, the size of the engine, and the CO2 levels your Automobile emits. The greener the Car the finer the deductions.

Female drivers are often given rebates due to the fact that Female drivers are more conscious and careful over male drivers.

If you have such things as airbags, anti-theft gimmicks, automatic seat belts, and anti-lock brakes, you will be capable to receive a rebate.

When you start your search for Fewer High-priced Motorcar Insurance Policy, be sure to verify the gains offered are the same from one company to the next as well as the be certain the coverage is for the identical sum of time.

discovering Insurance Policy organisations that will provide you with precise quotes are not a problem, nonetheless, if you do not ask questions such as the restrictions, insurance coverage, and time period, you may not recognise that one company provides more for Less buck.

You can find all kinds of discounts that will help you to find Fewer High-priced Car Insurance. On the other hand, you should also consider the cost if you do not have extensive coverage and you determine yourself without a car or in the hospital. It is probably finer to get quotes on all three types of Insurance available so you will be capable to get an educated decision on which company truly offers Fewer Costly Automobile Indemnity.

Kristine Reeves asked:


In the United Kingdom, it is mandatory for all automobiles that are driven on public roads must have insurance on the vehicle. However, many  may not realize the divergences in the insurance policy and which one they should select. We all know the dangers that can occur when we get into our motorcar and drive down the road. Even if you are the best driver on the road, things happen. An animal or baby may run in front of your car, you veer, and the next thing you know you are in a trench or you have done harm to someone’s holding.

There are three major types of automobile insurance policy in the United Kingdom.

Third Party car insurance policy is the minimal coverage you can have by law. This will cover you in case of accidental injuries to others including passengers in your automobile and others that are not with you like bystanders or in other cars, along with harm to others holding. This type of coverage will not cover any damages to your vehicle or for your own medical bills if needed.

Third Party Fire & Thievery coverage includes what is referred above along with harm, which occurred to your car due to Thievery or Blast.

Comprehensive coverage includes both of the aforementioned benefits along with limited medical checkup disbursements, accidental harm to your auto, individual accident, malicious hurt to your car, limited loss of private belongings that you carry on your motorcar, limited hurt of individual property that you carry on your auto, and glass substitute such as windows.

Of course, in these hard times, most people will opt for the Third Party Coverage as it is less pricey, however, in the long run this may not be your best option. This does not cover your vehicle and if you are running short of money, how will you be able to replace your car if there is leading hurt?

Instead of just opting for Third Party Coverage and giving up, you should do your homework and explore for cheap indemnity that will cover more. You may find that you can afford Extensive insurance with one or more insurance agencies. The idea is to get the most for your money instead of Selecting the cheapest. This way you will have more coverage and protect not only others but also yourself and your automobile. Do your preparation and investigate indemnity companies online.

Not all indemnity companies are the same; the gains listed above are only examples. One company that extends Comprehensive indemnity may not cover all the above-referred gains while others may extend more. This is the main reason you should check out diverse companies before making a determination that may be the inappropriate alternative.

Hilal Abdelwali asked:


If you own a gas guzzling vehicle and are interested in making the conversion of it over to an electric car, believe it or not, you can actually do it. There are conversion kits that can make a gasoline powered vehicle into an electric car, but doing it is not an easy job. You will want to find the services of an experienced mechanic to help you make the conversion over to an electric car.

You see, there are many components of a gasoline powered car that can be modified to allow it to become electric. In order to perform this conversion, you will need specific parts that will allow those parts to run solely on electric power. This just is not a do it yourself project. Unless, of course, you yourself are a seasoned mechanic!

If you are interested in making the conversion from a gasoline car to an electric car, you might want to know some of the advantages of doing this. First, if you have an all electric car, your power comes from batteries that store electricity to operate the motor that is similar to a regular vehicle. You charge the batteries at night and then you are good to go in the morning.

A gasoline car conversion over to an electric car will allow you to know that you are not releasing harmful pollutants into the air that can cause damage to the environment. Vehicles are responsible for about 80 percent of the pollution in our world, and that pollution is depleting the ozone layer and contributing to global warming.

Once you perform the conversion from gasoline to electric car, you will find that you are not really making many concessions and that you will be gaining a lot more than you will be losing. A major drawback of a completely electric car is that you will only be able to drive about a hundred miles before the charge runs out. However, most people do not drive much more than that in an average day, so just keep an eye on your electricity gauge and drive on!

You can also do a conversion from gasoline to electric car by making your car a hybrid electric car. A hybrid electric car is one that runs primarily on electricity but also provides a secondary power source with gasoline or even another alternative fuel. While not completely emission free, if you think you have to drive more than a hundred miles a day, this type of conversion can give you a huge piece of mind.

If you want to make the conversion from gas to electric, by all means, make your car what you want it to be. Your environment thanks you.

Hilal Abdelwali asked:


When it comes to one of the newest developments in the vehicle industry electric cars the facts about them are plentiful and easy to come by. This new alternative to regular gasoline powered cars has many people very excited about being able to have reliable transportation without damaging the environment. So what are the facts about electric cars?

First, there are many types of electric cars you can choose from, but all of them use an electric motor that runs on batteries that you recharge. The more batteries you have, the longer you can drive your car. Electric cars come in all different sizes and performances. They are aerodynamically more efficient than gasoline powered cars because electricity stored chemically is lighter than electricity stored electrically.

Another very advantageous fact about electric cars is that they emit virtually no greenhouse gases into the air and thus run much, much cleaner than many other vehicles. Greenhouse gases contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer that has led to global warming. Electric cars that run on batteries alone produce no pollution at all and thus are very environmentally friendly.

How far can you drive on an electric cars charge? The amazing fact is that electric cars can usually travel for about a hundred miles before needing a charge. The batteries generally need charged overnight and there is a gauge that can tell you how much power you have left. They are perfectly fine for city driving and those who do not have to go long distances on a regular basis.

This next fact about electric cars may amaze you. I know it did me. Some people believe that an electric car can not go very fast. But the fact is that electric cars have been clocked at over one hundred miles per hour and can go from zero to that in less than nine seconds. This is because electric motors have a very high torque which allows them to accelerate quickly and travel faster.

There are many more facts to be found out about electric cars such as their price, their range, their availability, and their benefits. Finding out these facts is easy. If you are thinking about buying an electric car, do your research and find one that fits your lifestyle. Most car companies produce at least a hybrid type of electric car that runs on both gasoline and electricity, but you can also find total electric cars if you know where to look. Just get the facts and then get on the electric car bandwagon. You may just find out you like it there.

Hilal Abdelwali asked:


Believe it or not, electric cars have been around for a very long time. In the early 1900s, there were more electric cars than there were gasoline powered cars. Back in the early 1920s when vehicles were becoming more popular, gasoline was very expensive. It also was hard to start a gasoline engine, you had to turn and turn and turn a crank in front of the car to get it to start. There was no key to start the car like we have today.

Gasoline vehicles were also noisy and put out lots of smoke. The cars either had no mufflers, or the mufflers did not do a good job. So, electric vehicles were a big hit. At one time there were 50,000 of them on the roads and streets of the United States.

But electric cars soon faded away like the horse drawn carriage. New ways to make gasoline cheaply were being discovered. A new invention called an electric starter was made. It started an electric car with a key instead of a crank. A gasoline car could go much farther than an electric one. So, gasoline powered vehicles soon became the main method of transporting people.

Now that there is a push for cleaner green cars, electricity is once again being looked to as a way to help reduce greenhouse gases released into the air by gasoline and electric cars could be one of the answers to this problem.

Electric cars do not burn gasoline in an engine. They use electricity stored on the car in batteries. Sometimes, 12 or 24 batteries, or more, are needed to power the car. Just like a remote controlled, model electric car, electric cars have an electric motor that turns the wheels and a battery to run that motor.

To charge an electric cars batteries, the car is usually plugged in at night. Some electric cars can plug right into a regular electrical wall outlet. Others need a larger outlet, like the kind that a stove or electric clothes dryer plug into. Electricity, is then stored in the batteries of the car.

The batteries can be lead acid batteries, like the batteries you find in our flashlight or in regular gasoline cars. Or they can be ni cad nickel cadmium like the kind that run portable video recorders or a portable video game player only much larger. Better batteries that hold more energy and last longer are being developed. In 2001, by the time todays fifth graders are ready to drive, electric cars should be able to travel 150 to 200 miles before recharging.

Car manufacturers and scientists are constantly coming up with new ways to fuel our vehicles in a cleaner, more environmentally friendly way. The production of the electric car is an exciting one that is being embraced by more and more people every year.

Jedd Sullivan asked:


With its sophisticated electronics, ultralight weight and efficient aero-dynamics, the General Motors EV1 is the state of the art in electric cars. Its closest rival is the Honda EV PLUS, a four-passenger compact powered by a $20,000 nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery pack. Both cars are available by lease only: the Honda just in California, the GM in California and Arizona. A warm climate was chosen for the car’s debuts: cold weather severely compromises their performance.

A  researcher from the University of California Institute of Transportation Studies who calculated that replacing all gasoline-burning cars in the United States with electric ones would reduce tailpipe emissions by only 20 percent. Even as expensive toys, electric cars have not been a hit. Despite massive hyping by environmentalists and electric-power companies, only 269 EV1’s have been leased. Honda’s new EV PLUS has won fewer than 50 customers since its debut in spring1997.

The U.S. government and manufacturers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars trying to make cars light enough for batteries to power - and trying to make batteries powerful enough for normal consumer driving. But delivering the goods at a reasonable price has proven elusive.

The Honda EV PLUS has a nominal sticker price of $53,999 - some $40,000 more than a Honda Civic. GM’s two-seater EV1 is lease-priced at $33, 995. Compare that to buying a two-seater Mazda Miata, which far outstrips the EV1 in performance and costs around $21,000.

Many states, including New York, Florida and Illinois, have or are considering taxpayer subsidies for electric cars. Yet even with taxpayer help, automakers must discount auto parts and electric cars  to sell them in United States. The difference is then passed along in higher prices for conventional cars, costing consumers even more.

People expect reliable, beast-of-burden versatility in their cars. But that’s just where electric cars fall short. Driving up hills, for instance, gobbles up battery capacity. Add a passenger: more drain on the battery. If the temperature outside drops to freezing, battery life drops substantially. While other cars give optimum performance with only a half-gallon of gasoline left, an electric car’s performance falls when its batteries are low.

We talked about a 50-or even 100 mile range as being acceptable for an electric. But wait a minute - would you drive 35 miles to a party on a frigid winter night with a four-gallon gas tank and no gas stations open? Would you put your family in that car?

Auto companies, battery makers and the government have spent about $200 million (half of it taxpayer money) searching for the Holy Grail of batteries: one that will reliably, cheaply and safely deliver loads of power. The issue is energy. In a car, a lead-acid battery stores enough energy to lift its weight ten miles. But a gallon of gasoline contains the energy to lift its weight 1000 miles. Even if scientist were to double the battery’s energy, gasoline still has 50 times more.

Not even the most promising new battery, the NiMH, comes close to gasoline’s performance. Solectria Corporation of Massachusetts drove its NiMH-powered, ultralight, jellybean-shaped Sunrise Sedan 211 miles from Boston to New York City on a single charge. This was touted as a “real world” test of an electric’s range.

But the Sunrise costs $100,000 (and that’s after the company received $7million in government subsidies). For that price you get a car with less than half the range of an $18,000 Honda Accord.

There isn’t going to be a miracle battery. If we get 100 miles of real-world range, that’s where it’s going to stop for a very long time. The knee-jerk reaction of many has been ‘cars pollute so let’s put a battery in them - and when that doesn’t do it, let’s put a better battery in’. This kind of thinking can bring people to dead ends. The gasoline is getting better, cheaper and lighter. Indeed, if electrics ever do become practical, they will probably derive their power from renewable fuel cells rather than batteries.

I have been a car nut all my life, and when I drove GM’s EV1 in Detroit, I was impressed by its smooth, quick pickup. It was comfortable and it handled well. But as I later drove to the airport in my (gas-powered) rental, I asked myself, Was the electric car superior to other, far cheaper cars I’ve driven? No.

Craig F Stevens asked:


In an era of rising gas prices, the American public has seen a renewed surge of interest in the kinds of fuel economy that they get in their vehicles. People are trading out and selling the gas-guzzling trucks or SUVs of yester-year, and increasingly choosing cars based on gas mileage. This trend includes a definite increase in the number of hybrid and electric cars that are being bought and sold, as people begin to embrace new alternative energy possibilities. But what is an electric car, and how does it work?

A completely electric car is powered by either batteries that must be recharged at charging stations, or fuel cells. Fuel cells take in hydrogen gas and convert it into electricity. Often, electric cars can also run on (or at least be supplemented by) solar energy in the form of panels on their roofs or bodies.

This electricity source, whatever it might be, is used to power an electric motor. The motor is a coil of wire that can spin freely inside a casing of magnets. When electricity is fed into the wire, it makes a magnetic field that turns the coil very quickly. By fastening the spinning coil to an axle, the wheels are driven along. A modern electric car can get 250 miles or more on a single charge, more than sufficient for most day to day commuting purposes.

You can find out more information about Hybrid Cars at www.prohybrid.com along with video news, reviews, and tools such as price quotes and an automotive loan calculator.