Best Chattanooga, TN Auto Insurance in 2024
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Brad Larson
Licensed Insurance Agent
Brad Larson has been in the insurance industry for over 16 years. He specializes in helping clients navigate the claims process, with a particular emphasis on coverage analysis. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in Political Science. He also holds an Associate in Claims (AIC) and Associate in General Insurance (AINS) designations, as well as a Utah Property and Casual...
Licensed Insurance Agent
UPDATED: Nov 15, 2024
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Chattanooga has come a long way in recent years. Back in the 1980’s it was known as one of the most polluted cities in the US. But thanks to Vision 2000, a privately-funded program designed to clean up the city by the year 2000 and improve Chattanooga’s reputation, it has risen above that status. The program was a major success, and today Chattanooga is not only one of the cleanest in the country, but one of the most economically sustainable cities in all of Tennessee.
- Fun fact: Do you enjoy wide, open spaces? Because Chattanooga is #45 on the list of “Top 100 cities with largest land areas”! Intrigued by discovering more about Chattanooga? Click here!
Auto Insurance Coverage Requirements in Tennessee
Driving legally in Chattanooga requires:
Coverage | Requirements | Most Common |
Bodily Injury Liability | 25,000/50,000 | 100,000/300,000 |
Property Damage Liability | 15,000 | 50,000 |
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury | Not required | 100,000/300,000 |
Medical Payments | Not required | 2,000 |
Collision | Not required | 500 deductible |
Comprehensive | Not required | 100 deductible |
Tennessee car insurance only requires that its drivers carry Liability coverage, and in fairly low amounts. For some vehicles, this coverage is adequate enough that they don’t need to purchase anything else. But for most drivers, such as those driving newer cars or those who worry about theft, the state minimum limits won’t be enough.
Your average Tennessee resident may be paying as much as $116 each month (or higher) just to maintain basic coverage. However, lucky Chattanooga drivers who act now can lower that down to about $34/mo*!
If price is all that matters to you, and you don’t have any adverse circumstances in your driver profile (young age, bad credit, several DUIs, etc), try comparing quotes from Erie or Nationwide. But it’s also a good idea to do your research on each company, just to make sure you’re not trading a lower rate for poor service.
Those that underwrite auto insurance policies evaluate many factors while determining insurance rates, which includes marital status, geography, occupation, years of driving experience, and business use of the vehicle. On top of that, premiums differ from amongst providers. To make sure that you are still paying the most affordable premium, evaluate cheap Chattanooga auto insurance prices on the internet.
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Major Car Insurance Factors in Chattanooga
At the time your auto insurance agency prepares to craft your insurance policy, they take numerous specifics into account. Many of these, for example how old you are or your specific region, are very unlikely to alter. A few other variables are:
Your Zip Code
Cheap auto insurance is normally found in metropolitan areas which have a lesser population density. Since there are less automobiles cruising the road, you will find a lot fewer opportunities to get into a serious accident with a different driver. The population of Chattanooga is 173,366 and also the typical family earnings are $39,475.
Automotive Accidents
There are a lot of people living in Chattanooga – unfortunately, the high rate of serious accidents reflects this. The statistics are down below. There’s even more bad news, though: in areas where serious accidents are frequent, insurance companies raise rates for everyone. But you can call and ask if they have any Safe Driver discounts for people with clean driving records (if that situation applies to you).
Auto Thefts in Chattanooga
Sometimes in smaller cities or outlying towns, car theft can nonetheless be a dilemma. To make it a smaller issue for you, think about putting in a passive anti-theft system on your current motor vehicle. Your actual auto insurance provider could compensate you with cheaper costs! Within Chattanooga, the auto theft rate jumped back up to 986 during 2013. The per capita rate of theft is also quite high, which means you should definitely have some Comprehensive coverage under your policy.
Your Credit Score
If you have poor credit, you could be paying up to 300% more than what drivers with good credit are paying. Some companies, like Nationwide, will give you a bit of a break. But for most other providers, your credit score will have a huge influence over what you pay.
Your Age
Trying to insure a young driver for a low price is tough. Their youth and lack of driving experience makes accidents, and serious ones at that, much more likely to occur. Bundling your teen driver to your family policy could help, as well as taking advantage of Good Student discounts.
Your Driving Record
Accident Forgiveness is a new type of discount which certain providers are offering their customers. If you have less-than perfect driving record, you could get one of your violations “forgiven” when your insurance company calculates your monthly premium.
Your Vehicle
Technically, unless you are leasing your vehicle, you can purchase as much or as little coverage as you want, even on a luxury vehicle, as long as you meet the state minimum requirements. But it’s not a very smart idea to insure an expensive, luxury vehicle with just a few thousand dollars’ worth of Liability coverage. Your agent can help you figure out exactly how much coverage you should carry based on your vehicle, how expensive it is, and other personal circumstances.
Minor Car Insurance Factors in Chattanooga
Below are some lesser – but still important – premium-altering factors:
Your Marital Status
Married couples should know three words: bundle, bundle, bundle. Bundling all of your financial products together under the same company can lead to some very helpful discounts. And married couples have more things in common (a house, cars, etc) so they have the best opportunity to take advantage of these discounts.
Your Gender
Do you know which gender is the safer driver? If you said “no”, well, you just gave the same answer as most insurance companies. Since there is no empirical data which conclusively proves that one sex is riskier behind the wheel than the other, many don’t even charge different rates based on gender anymore.
Your Driving Distance to Work
Average commute times in Chattanooga tend to run a moderate 17 to 23 minutes long for most drivers. If you prefer to drive to work by yourself in your own vehicle, you aren’t alone; 78% of other motorists do the same thing. But a noticeable 8-15% still carpool.
How many miles per year do you think you’d have to shave off your odometer in order to save 5% on your monthly premiums? 100 miles? A thousand? It’s actually much closer to around 5,000 miles; and even then the discount rarely exceeds 3-4%.
Your Coverage and Deductibles
Do you know how much your deductible is off the top of your head? It’s actually a very important number that you should become familiar with if you aren’t already. Low deductibles will raise your monthly premium, whereas high deductibles will lower your rates – but they will also make it difficult to process a claim if you wreck your car during a financially lean time.
Education in Chattanooga, TN
While a good 27% of residents who live in Chattanooga have successfully completed a high school education, an additional 22% have not yet achieved that diploma. But investing in your education has become more important than ever, and even auto insurance providers recognize this. That explains why motorists with a higher education get the lowest rates!
There are more than a dozen different schools to look at for potential Chattanooga students. The University of Tennessee has a satellite campus within the city, offering a plethora of bachelor’s and master’s degrees to their students. There is also the Chattanooga State Technical Community College for a valuable degree in less time. For a private option, you may want to consider Tennessee Temple University or Southern Adventist University.
Car insurance is probably the most critical purchase you may make as an automobile owner. You have to be sure you discover an honest, responsible supplier who’ll follow through on their offers. A small number of auto insurance companies will be greater at this as opposed to others, and doing a careful web based search can help you split the favorable from the inadequate.
How We Conducted Our Car Insurance Analysis
*We calculated our average rate based on the following metrics: a married, 34 year old male with good credit, a 12-month history of maintaining auto insurance, a clean driving record, who owns his own home. Miles driven annually were based on the national average. The average rate was also calculated based on a financed 2015 Honda Accord with a pre-installed anti-theft device.
Sources:
Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance
Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
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