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Rhode Island Auto Insurance Rates & Which Factors Affect It

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Factors That Can Affect Rhode Island Car Insurance Rates

Rhode Island auto insurance companies determine your car insurance rate through a system of rules called “underwriting”. These rules are to designed based on statistics to determine how high of an insurance risk you are and whether or not you will be approved for insurance coverage. Your risk rating is calculated by weighing a number of factors and the lower your risk rating, the lower your auto insurance rate is going to be in Rhode Island.

    Some common factors that usually play a large role in determining your risk rate:

  • driving record: If you have traffic violations or have been involved in an auto accident, it will likely have a negative impact on your credit rating.
  • car make and model: The performance capability of your vehicle (i.e. how fast it can go and how well it maneuvers) may actually increase your rate. It also makes a difference how many times that make/model has been reported to be involved in accidents.
  • prior insurance coverage: Insurers also look at your prior insurance coverage. If you’ve had a clean driving history during the previous period and paid your monthly premiums on time, it may improve your rate.

Auto Insurance Rating Classifications

Generally, car insurance companies place approved policyholders in one of three driver categories.

  • Preferred: Preferred drivers usually end up wit the best rates. They are considered the least likely to file an insurance claim.
  • Standard: This category is for drivers who are determined to have “moderate” risk. They typically have reasonable driving records.
  • Non-standard: This group of drivers is considered “high risk” and usually includes drivers with little driving experience, anyone under 25, and drivers with several tickets or accidents on their driving record. This group pays the highest auto insurance rates.

Click to find out more about Rhode Island auto insurance laws and RI car insurance companies.