When you begin to add dependent drivers to your policies, this amount can increase even more.

The problem with finding “average” car insurance prices is that the cost of auto insurance varies so much from person to person that averages are often poor representations of what you as an individual will pay.

There are many factors that are involved in calculating the cost of your auto insurance premiums, and a change in any of these factors can mean a big difference in your insurance costs.

The average cost for car insurance for an individual nationwide is currently $1,677 per year. Assuming a family of four pays a base premium of this amount and then an additional twenty percent per person to insure the rest of the family, the total average cost would be $2,638.

Of course, this is making several assumptions: that all the vehicles insured are of approximately the same age and size; that all drivers have a similar record; and that all drivers are driving in approximately the same geographical locations. A change in any of these factors would significantly alter the average price.

Here are factors that affect your family’s insurance rates, and some tips on how you can control these costs.

1) Location. One of the primary factors that will affect the insurance cost for your family as a whole is where you live. If you are close to an urban area and members of your family regularly travel to work in the city, you may find that your insurance costs are higher than for similar families living in rural areas.

Of course, this may not mean that you want to pack up and move, but it is something to think about when purchasing vehicles and deciding which cars will be driven into urban locations. If you or your family can use public transportation to go to work or school, you may be able to save some money on your car insurance.

2) Ages. Unfortunately, you are going to have to resign yourself to paying more for car insurance while your children are teenagers. Teens have statistically the very highest accident and ticket rates of any group. Because of this, all teens are penalized to a certain degree when they buy car insurance.

However, there are some ways you can combat this problem. Be sure your kids make good grades in school and ask for a “good student” discount with your car insurance company. Enroll them in driver’s education; many companies give you up to 15 percent off your bill if your teens take this course. Be sure to talk with your teens about the importance of avoiding speeding tickets and accidents and how this relates to insurance costs.

3) Driving records. Any time anyone in your family gets a speeding ticket or has an at-fault accident, the price of car insurance for the whole family will go up. Everyone needs to understand this and respect the rest of the family members when making decisions about driving.

4) Types of cars. The simpler and less expensive your vehicles, the less you will pay for insurance. It may be tempting to purchase a sports car, but ownership of one, especially by one of your teens, is sure to skyrocket your insurance costs for the entire family.

Every state has different rules about what is required, many of which conflict with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Guidelines. Those rules say that minor crashes do not warrant child seat replacement. In Ohio, there are no specific state laws on the matter, so it’s likely the insurance company will follow the NHTSA guidelines.

On top of that, car insurance only covers “permanently installed” equipment that is part of the car. Some companies will accept car seats as meeting that definition, if they think the accident was bad enough to damage it (or there were obvious signs of damage), but others will not. The deductible will apply, but the car seat damage would be considered part of the entire car damage claim in such a case. It’s really up to the good will of the car insurance company.

If the insurance company will not accept the car seat as part of the car itself, you are out of luck because you are at fault for the accident. If another driver was at fault, you could try to go through the at fault driver, but you would run into the problem of how bad the accident was (if there was no visible damage to the seat).

If you have a non-resident that only uses your car occasionally, there is no reason to add him. But if he or she is using your car frequently or for an extended period, you would be wise to add it on.

Even if the driver was behind the wheel of someone else’s truck, the owner of that rig will be sure you know who you should be suing. When cases like that arrive in court, the party being sued will often pull in other parties who may also bear responsibility for the accident.

Be sure you know the laws in your state with respect to the threshold for small claims. Under a certain dollar amount, you must file paperwork in small claims court. In either case, you would be wise to consult with an attorney. If you have a good case, most attorneys will pursue the case with no fees to you upfront. You will probably have to pay the attorney one third of any settlement he gets you.

The insurance company cannot increase rates if this is the only accident and they pay less than $1,000 for the damage. Colorado law states:

“Unacceptable reasons for an increase in premium (other than a general increase filed with the Commissioner of Insurance) due to a reclassification of the insured under a complying policy include, but are not necessarily limited to the following:”…

“The use of a single accident resulting in payment of less than $1,000, unless the insurer has elected to file with the Division of Insurance a rating plan such as a Safe Driver Plan, an Accident Surcharge Plan, etc., which includes statistical data justifying the use of a lesser threshold.”

So, yes the insurance rate can go up, even if the accident is not her fault, but only if the payment is over $1,000 and this is her only accident. If she has previous accidents, she’s likely to get hit with a rate hike.

Once you become a Florida resident, you have 10 days to register your car.

You are a Florida resident if you:

• Are a voter in the state
• Have kids in a Florida public school
• Working in the state
• Have lived there for at least 60 days in a row
• Have applied for a homestead exemption there

To get a Florida registration, you must first buy insurance. The agent will give you a binder that you can take with you to the DMV to prove you have car insurance. Only insurance from companies licensed to sell insurance in Florida is allowed. Arrive early as DMV offices in Florida are extremely busy and crowded. Expect to wait a long time to get your turn.

Bring with you your vehicle identification number, the old title and the old registration. Your title will be transferred to Florida as part of the registration process.

You can find more details about the process at the Florida DMV.

The number of traffic regulations is vast, from speed limits to appropriate lighting, use of devices while driving to noise levels inside the car. Inevitably, virtually every driver will find themselves on the wrong side of the law at some point in their life. Many adult drivers get traffic tickets for something they may not have even realized they were doing illegally, and those tickets can be pretty pricey and inconvenient.

As citizens, it is your responsibility to obey the law. However, as citizens, you also have the right to a fair trial and to defend yourself in court. Laws are intended to keep the public safe, and it is perfectly legal to attempt to reduce, eliminate or contest the traffic violation.

The first step in combating a traffic violation though is prevention. Following are some tips for avoiding tickets to begin with

1. Go with the flow of traffic. When you are driving at a very different speed than everyone around you, whether it be much slower or much faster, you become more conspicuous and stand out like a sore thumb. This becomes bad news when you drive by a policeman or highway patrol officer who is clocking speeds or looking for someone to pull over.
2. Keep current repairs and maintenance on your car. If you have expired licenses, or if your lights are out, or if you have a bumper dragging on the road, you are putting yourself at increased risk not only for accidents, but also for traffic tickets. When your car is falling apart, you are also more noticeable.

What happens if you do get pulled over and ticketed? Well, there are a few different avenues you can take to fight your traffic tickets. Remember while fighting your ticket that if you did do something glaringly wrong, you’ll likely have to pay it in the end. However, putting up a good fight can at least give you the chance to reduce the fine.

1. A lot of contesting your ticket starts as you are being ticketed. When you do get pulled over, be nice to the officer, and don’t get confrontational. Ever. Be honest about the situation, but don’t admit to any wrong-doing. Admissions are for court, not for the ticketing process itself.
2. Ask your officer questions about the ticket; make sure you understand the reasons for the ticket, so that you can plan your defense accordingly.
3. When you do get the ticket and before you go to court, you will want to figure out what the inconsistencies are between what was written down and what actually happened. The police officer may have made a mistake, enabling you an opening for contestation.
4. Recalling all of the specifics of what was happening from your point of view before you go to court will also help your case. Anything you remember about the setting of the ticket, the conditions of the road, and the reason you were pulled over can be relevant, so write it down.
5. Go to your court hearing and defend yourself, looking professional and telling your side of the story.

As you can see, one of the key elements of avoiding a traffic ticket is to blend in with the rest of the cars on the road, and keep as inconspicuous as possible. However, if you do get pulled over and ticketed, you will know that there are many strategies you can use to help your case and avoid paying the fine. The best way to fight a traffic ticket is always to be as specific as possible, and make sure to be honest and clear.

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Brought to you by the firm of Price Benowitz, LLP, where each dedicated Virginia auto accident lawyer is committed to a positive outcome for your case.

There are many reasons why electric cars have failed to generate the sales and live up to the hype, and one of the main reasons, according to most experts, is the awkward nature of the electric car. Most American’s were born and raised with the gasoline-powered car. In many ways the car is the perfect embodiment of the American Dream: the open road, mobility, freedom, high speed, off into the sunset. And, in the process, stopping by the gas station and filling up the tank has become the norm, so when it comes to plugging a power cord into a large battery- as is the case with electric cars- the whole image is changed. As is the case with any change, it takes time to get used to and apparently that time is not now, even though gas prices are at an all-time high.

One thing is obvious: most people do not trust electric cars, at least not yet. Even though many of the safety worries, longevity worries and other concerns have been laid to rest through numerous studies, most do not seem comfortable with the electric car and still see it is an inconvenient travel option. For the time being, electric cars are primarily made for urban areas in which a person does not need to drive more than a few dozen miles a day, which doesn’t jibe with some.

As of 2011, electric cars only constitute less than one tenth of one percent of total car sales, despite cars manufacturers spending billions and billions of dollars on the development of electric cars. There is very little doubt that the electric car is still the car of the future, but the question is when will the car consumer catch up with the future? Most experts predict that the future will be realized once the mileage/ charge time of electric vehicles rises and the price falls, but that can still be some time away. According to LMC Automotive, electric car sales will continue to rise, but at a very sluggish rate, over the next few years. But, there is some progress being made in the sales of hybrid cars (i.e. cars that run on electricity and gas.) Last year, hybrid car sales constituted 2.1% of total cars sales, and in a few years the sales numbers expect an increase to up to 7% of total car sales, according to LMC Automotive. In 2011, more than 200,000 hybrid vehicles were sold in the United States- the bulk of which were Toyota Prius’- and more than 17,000 fully electric vehicles were sold.

When considering that the basic technology for an electric car has been around in one form or another since the inception of the car in the late 19th century, it is surprising that it has taken even this long to get the ball rolling. It is difficult to measure the actual number of electric cars currently on the road in the United States, most estimates put it at between 50,000 and 75,000.

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Written by Rachel Oda who encourages anyone purchasing an electric car (or any car for that matter), to consider secure insurance quotes.