How Much Does Car Insurance Cost for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record in Delaware?

Finding low-priced auto insurance is not the easiest thing to accomplish, and deciding which insurers offer the cheapest insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record will involve a bit more work. Insurance prices will most likely be significantly higher than the state average due to the potential for more claims that comes with offering coverage for bad drivers, but competitive coverage should be possible with some perseverence. Each auto insurer has their own process to set policy rates, so first we will examine the most affordable insurance companies in Delaware.

It’s a good idea to know that Delaware insurance rates are impacted by many things that can increase the price of coverage. Price variation is why it is critical to compare as many rates as possible to find affordable car insurance quotes for drivers with a bad driving record. Auto insurance prices are made up of many factors and change dramatically, so the best company the last time you shopped around may now be an over-priced policy.

USAA normally has some of the best car insurance rates in Delaware at around $874 each year. Travelers, Nationwide, Atlantic States, and Titan are also some of the lowest-priced Delaware insurance companies.

As the example above demonstrates, if you buy coverage from Atlantic States and switched to USAA, you might see savings of upwards of $405. Delaware drivers with Titan might save as much as $457 a year, and California Casualty policyholders might see rate reductions of $471 a year.

These premium estimates are averaged across all insureds and vehicles and do not take into consideration a rate surcharge for drivers with a bad driving record. So the car insurance company that is most affordable for your situation may not even be included in the company chart above. That underscores the importance of why you need to get auto insurance quotes using your own personal information and vehicle type.

When buying car insurance for bad drivers, one of the key factors that helps car insurance companies calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where your car is garaged in Delaware. Densely populated urban areas like Wilmington, Middletown, and Edgemoor will most likely pay more, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims benefit from lower rates.

The next table rates the higher priced cities in Delaware for drivers with a bad driving record to purchase auto insurance in.

Rate information is comparative as the vehicle garaging location can decrease or increase insurance rates substantially.

Performance level and cost of the vehicle you are trying to insure is one of the largest factors that determines whether or not you can buy cheap auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in Delaware. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, a plethora of safety features, or a track record of few liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than adrenaline junky models.

The lists below estimates auto insurance prices for the cheapest automobiles to buy coverage for.

Price data assumes married female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Delaware minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Prices do not factor in zip code location which can modify premium rates substantially.

Table data assumes married female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Delaware minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, and multi-policy. Rate quotes do not factor in specific zip code location which can alter coverage prices greatly.

Prices based on married female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Delaware minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can modify premium rates significantly.

Tickets and at-fault accidents raise rates

In a perfect world, the best way to enjoy cheap auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in Delaware is to pay attention while driving and maintain a clean driving record. The diagram below shows how speeding tickets and accidents can increase insurance rates for different age categories. The rates are based on a single female driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

The data above shows the average cost of a car insurance policy in Delaware per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,817. Add in two speeding tickets and the average cost surges to $2,428, an increase of $612 each year. Now add two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of insurance for drivers with a bad driving record jumps again to an average of $4,821. That’s an increase of $3,004, or $250 per month, just for not being a responsible driver!

Selecting a high-quality car insurance provider can be challenging considering how many companies there are in Delaware. The company ratings in the next section can help you select which auto insurance companies to look at when shopping around. The rankings below are only made up of the companies with a significant amount of written premium nationwide, so companies that have a smaller presence are not taken into consideration for the list.

Cost comparison with and without full coverage

Finding cheap auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in Delaware is probably important to most drivers, and a great way to pay lower rates for insurance is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The illustration below compares insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. Data assumes a clean driving record, no claims, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

If we average the cost for ages 20 through 70, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs an extra $3,163 per year more than just buying liability insurance. That is a large expense which might make you wonder if it’s a good idea to buy full coverage. There is no clear-cut formula for dropping physical damage insurance, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.

For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s settlement value is $11,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company would pay you is $10,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying over $1,000 a year for physical damage coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.

There are a few cases where dropping physical damage coverage is not a good plan. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to carry full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.

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