Reader’s Question:

I have a friend here in Fort Wayne, Indiana , who told me that I may be able to get some discounts on auto insurance if I don’t use my car that frequently. Is that true? Because most of the time, I just walk or commute to work, and I just use my car when I really need it.

Joshua

Fort Wayne, IN

Usually, there are different auto insurance policy laws for different states here in the country, but in the case of public transit users, I think it’s the same almost everywhere. And I’m sure the same thing is in effect there in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For you who do not really use your car that often and just commute through public transit or whatever, I’m sure that discounts are available because if a car insurance underwriter considers different factors, how frequent you use your car is going to be one of them. That is if you can prove to the auto insurance company that you actually use public transit. If you can, then you will definitely get a lower premium. The reason behind all of this is that a car insurance underwriter calculates how often you will probably be getting claims from them. Remember that when you get claims, the company loses money. If you do this a lot, there is a very high chance that the next time you have your policy renewed, either the company gives you a higher premium or the company rejects you. For those people that receive higher priced premiums, what they do is they commute and refrain from using their cars because this way, they can reduce the price of their premiums. If the car insurance company knows that you do not use your car that often, they would be open to giving you discounts. So, there you go now, and I hope I answered your question. Well, if you think about it, you would actually save more if you don’t use your car that often.

Tags: auto insurance, car insurance cost, Car insurance discounts, car insurance quotes

Reader’s Question:

My son will be studying abroad and will not be driving his vehicle for a year (his car is registered and insured under his name). Can he take off the insurance in his carin Bloomington, Indiana and place the insurance back when he returns?

Paul

Bloomington, IN

It will depend upon the state laws and where the vehicle is garaged if your son can take the car insurance off of the automobile. In many states if your vehicle is registered you need to have car insurance placed on it with at least the state’s minimum car insurance requirements. So your son may need to turn in his license plates and registration in order to take insurance off his vehicle so he will not be penalized by the state where he lives in.

In most states if you just remove the insurance on a car without turning in your license plates and registration this will be considered a lapse in your car insurance and may penalized such as registration and license suspension and fines.

It will likely increase your son’s car insurance rates when he comes back if he has a lapse on his car insurance for a year. Your son needs to talk to his car insurance company to know exactly how much his car insurance rates may rise from the lapse in car insurance policy.

Tags: auto insurance lapse, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

My sixteen year old daughter has a vehicle that is titled under my name and I would like to know if we can get the title and automobile insurance under her name. We live in Anderson, Indiana.

Robert

Anderson, IN

I did not find any information in Anderson, Indiana on minors not allowed to title, register and insure the vehicle under their name but generally a minor that is under the age of 18 must title and insure the vehicle with their parents or legal guardian with them. You may check if you can put the name of your daughter in the title as the secondary owner of the car and once she turns 18, you can transfer the full ownership to her.

As for the car insurance in Anderson IN, car insurance policy is a legal contract and most insurance carriers would require that teens under the age of eighteen have their parents of legal guardian sign the contract with them. As a parent, you will be held liable for your daughter’s negligent actions. Although your daughter may be able to register and get insurance under her name, you will be responsible for her until she turns 18.

Tags: auto insurance, teen insurance, Young driver car insurance

Reader’s Question:

I am a full time student in Fort Wayne, Indiana and I am just wondering if I can obtain good student discount?

Red

Fort Wayne, IN

Most Fort Wayne, Indiana insurance carriers offers good student discount depending on your GPA or grade point average. How ever it stil depends on individual insurance carrier’s rules and guidelines on what minimum GPA is needed for you to be able to avail of the good student discount.

Normally, this good student discount is applied to physical liability coverages of collision and comprehensive, bodily injury and property damage or medical payments as long as the student driver meets the qualifications the insurance company requires.

Many insurance carriers requires that a student is enrolled full time in high school, university or college and has a B average before the student can avail of the good student discount. You may also be required by some insurance carrier to submit a form to your school for them to be able to check your grades.

Tags: auto insurance, Car insurance discounts, Student car insurance

Reader’s Question:

Is my car covered if my auto insurance lapses in South Bend, Indiana? How long is it covered for?

Larry

South Bend, IN

With car insurance, there is no grace period. Normally if you do not pay then your car insurance policy will cancel at 12:01 AM of the day listed on your payment notice or expiration date from your automobile insurance carrier. If you do not pay and your car insurance lapses you do not have any insurance coverage. There is no grace period for you to be covered for you to obtain a new car insurance policy or reinstate your insurance policy.

If you let your auto insurance lapse and your insurance company reports this to your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles, which is required in many states, then you can face fines and penalties for disregarding car insurance laws. In most states you need to turn in your license plates and registration if you cancel or have a lapse in car insurance. If you do not do so then your driver’s license and registration can be suspended for a period of time. Some states just require you to pay a fee and show proof of car insurance after a lapse.

Do not let your car insurance lapse in South Bend, Indiana as much as possible. If it does and you are caught driving without car insurance or even worse at-fault in an accident you will face penalties for driving uninsured and be held personally liable for the damages you have caused since you did not have any auto insurance in effect.

Tags: auto insurance lapse, car insurance

Reader’s Question:

Do I have to have auto insurance on a vehicle in Terre Haute even if I do not use it?

Jean

Terre Haute, IN

Normally if you have registration on your vehicle then most all states require you to continue to have insurance coverage on the car, even if you are not operating it.

If you do not want to insure a vehicle in Terre Haute, IN and it is off the public highways then verify with your state what steps to take. It will usually include turning in your license plates and registration on the car. If this is done then you can take car insurance off of the car normally without receiving penalties.

To verify what your state’s laws are regarding this contact your Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Tags: auto insurance

Reader’s Question:

We are from Elkhart, Indiana. My daughter is about to turn sixteen. She has never taken any driver education course and doesn’t have a learners permit. Can she still get her drivers license when she turns sixteen?

Dana

Elkhart, IN

You cannot obtain a license at just sixteen years of age in Elkhart, Indiana, you must have a learner’s permit first. Once your daughter have carried the learners permit for a certain amount of time she can apply for a driver’s license. If your daughter carries only a learner’s permit then she would have to wait until he is at least sixteen years old and 180 days old to obtain a driver’s license. If she would have started with an education learner’s permit then she could apply for a driver’s license when she is at least sixteen years and thirty days old.

To get more information about the licensing process in the state of Indiana you may contact the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Make certain that when your daughter does start driving with a permit that you tell your insurance provider. Many insurers will allow you to wait until she is fully licensed to add her as a driver to the insurance policy but insurance guidelines differ and you will want to be certain that she is covered by your auto insurance when driving.

Tags: auto insurance, Beginner car insurance, teen insurance, Young driver car insurance

Reader’s Question:

My daughter is 19 years old and is away at college. My insurance carrier in Anderson, Indiana gives better rates for students who are only at home a few weeks a year. What will be my liability if she drives a friends vehicle while away at college and gets into an accident?

James

Anderson, IN

State liability laws vary so it will depend upon those laws as to what your liability as a parent will be when your child is away at college drives someone else’s vehicle. When driving someone’s vehicle, with permission, the car’s insurance by the owner is primary and if that exceeds the owner’s policy limits the driver’s insurance would be the secondary.

Since your daughter is no longer a minor if she was in an accident that required insurance she would likely be held liable herself and not her parents but since state laws do differ I would suggest speaking with an attorney to check exactly what your parental liability might be in this case. You may also want to talk to your insurance broker in Anderson, Indiana to check if your current car insurance would cover your daughter at all, as secondary insurance, if she drives their car while away at college.

Tags: auto insurance, automobile, Student car insurance

Reader’s Question:

Is it possible to drive out of state on a provisional license in Bloomington, Indiana?

Rey

Bloomington, IN

You will need to verify with your Indiana Department of Motor Vehicles to check if they permit you to drive out of state with your provisional license. Most states do permit you to drive out of state but to be sure that you are not breaking any of your provisional license’s conditions contact your DMV in Bloomington, Indiana.

If your state permits you to drive out of state then you will also need to verify with the state or states in which you plan to drive to. The other states’ Department of Motor Vehicle should be able to tell you if you can drive within their borders or without a full license.

In most states there may be some restrictions put on your driving privileges.

Tags: automobile

Reader’s Question:

Is it legal for someone to put a friend’s car on their auto insurance when they do not own the vehicle and it does not reside at their house? My cousin is doing this in Muncie, Indiana and I think its a bad idea.

Don

Muncie, IN

Yes you are right. It is a bad idea a lot of reasons. If the insurance carrier is not notified of who the real vehicle owner and main driver is, presumably the friend, then the person obtaining an insurance policy in this manner could in fact be illegal. Without your cousin having insurable interest in the car it may difficult for your cousin to insure the friend’s vehicle anyway.

In many states, such as Indiana, putting a vehicle on your insurance policy in order to save money in this manner could be considered insurance fraud. It would be misrepresenting the information to say that the vehicle was his and residing at his house if it really is his friends and is garaged at his friend’s house. His friend’s driving history should be part of the rating process since he is the owner of the car and driver in Muncie, IN.

Tags: auto insurance