5 Myths About Car Insurance

Car insurance can be confusing enough but add in odd myths and it can become an intimidating mass of misinformation. Below are some common misconceptions or myths about car insurance and their answers. a car driving down a country road

1. Some Car Colors are More Expensive to Insure

It’s a frequent myth that red cars are more expensive to insure, and that vehicle color somehow influences car insurance premiums. This is not true. An insurance provider is highly unlikely to calculate your car’s paint color into your car insurance premiums. This premise comes from the relation to car colors and the number of times each are pulled over by the police. While there may be a subconscious truth to this, it still does not affect how much you pay to insure the vehicle.

What is true is that the type of car you drive can affect the cost of your car insurance rates. Sports cars and vehicles modified for speed or to carry cargo generally cost more to insure.

2. Full Coverage Car Insurance is Required

New drivers especially often sign up for a full coverage car insurance policy, as they assume this is how much is required. While full coverage car insurance is generally recommended, it is not required in most states. Instead, many states require a minimum amount of liability insurance. Requirements vary by state, so be sure to check with your area’s minimum requirements. All policies, including full coverage policies, should come with the minimum liability coverage required.

3. Car Insurance Covers Water Damage

If you have comprehensive coverage, rain, flood and sleet damage should be covered on your car insurance policy. This will not be covered if you only have minimum liability.

4. Comprehensive Coverage Covers Car Accidents

Comprehensive coverage is designed to cover damage to or loss of a vehicle due to fire, wind, hail, rain, lightning, theft, vandalism and more. It does not include damage due to collision, either with another vehicle or an object. For an accident with a vehicle or object to be covered, you will need collision coverage.

5. Men Pay More for Car Insurance than Women

On a base level, this is true. The average man tends to pay slightly higher premiums than the average woman due to gender statistics concerning driving habits and car wrecks. This isn’t always true, however, and many times you may not even notice a different in your car insurance, as many other factors play into the cost.

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