Wouldn’t this article be short if we could just tell you that one special company that has the best insurance prices for high risk drivers? That is not the case, however, as there are a lot of unknown aspects like what coverage limits you want, what deductibles you want to use, and if you own a home, that all have an effect on the price of a policy. This article will discuss the best ways to avoid high prices and will hopefully give you a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in Austin.
The make and model of vehicle on the policy is one of the largest factors when comparing quotes for low-priced insurance for high risk drivers. Vehicles with limited speed and performance, a plethora of safety features, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than higher performance models.
The table below illustrates auto insurance prices for a number of the most economical automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $3,559 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $3,667 |
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $3,672 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $3,910 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr | $3,955 |
| Toyota Prius | $3,994 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $4,140 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $4,183 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $4,192 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $4,215 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $4,220 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $4,341 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $4,383 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $4,388 |
| Ford F-150 FX4 4WD | $4,386 |
| Toyota Tacoma X-Runner 2WD | $4,406 |
| Ford Edge Limited AWD | $4,416 |
| Start a Quote Go | |
Prices based on single male driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Rate quotes do not factor in specific location information which can revise insurance rates significantly.
Based on these rates, vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, and Ford Escape are most likely going to be the more affordable vehicles to insure for high risk drivers. Auto insurance rates will tend to be higher because there is more risk for high risk drivers, but overall those makes and models will have the cheapest rates that you’ll find.
For high risk drivers, one of the big factors that help determine the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where you live. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends likely pay more, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims benefit from lower rates.
The information below sorts the highest-priced places in Texas for high risk drivers to purchase car insurance in. Austin is listed at #17 with the annual price of $1,627 for coverage, which is approximately $136 per month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,996 |
| 2 | Dallas | $1,911 |
| 3 | Laredo | $1,907 |
| 4 | Houston | $1,891 |
| 5 | Brownsville | $1,851 |
| 6 | Garland | $1,850 |
| 7 | Mesquite | $1,807 |
| 8 | Amarillo | $1,804 |
| 9 | Pasadena | $1,794 |
| 10 | Grand Prairie | $1,793 |
| 11 | Irving | $1,736 |
| 12 | Beaumont | $1,702 |
| 13 | Lubbock | $1,682 |
| 14 | San Antonio | $1,671 |
| 15 | Fort Worth | $1,670 |
| 16 | Arlington | $1,658 |
| 17 | Austin | $1,627 |
| 18 | Carrollton | $1,598 |
| 19 | Plano | $1,576 |
| 20 | Corpus Christi | $1,572 |
| Find the Best Rates Go | ||
Premium costs are estimated as the specific geographic location can change rates noticeably.
Finding out which companies have the cheapest insurance rates for high risk drivers may require a bit more effort in order to find the best policy. Every auto insurer uses a slightly different approach to set their prices, so we’ll go over the most budget-friendly insurance companies in Austin.
It’s important to know that Austin, TX insurance rates are influenced by many factors that control the price you pay. Simply improving your credit, buying a home, or getting caught speeding can trigger price changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance for Risky Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,052 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,117 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | $1,247 |
| 4 | Germania Mutual | $1,282 |
| 5 | Esurance | $1,379 |
| 6 | California Casualty | $1,438 |
| 7 | State Farm | $1,450 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,521 |
| 9 | Nationwide | $1,553 |
| 10 | Safe Auto | $1,613 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,647 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,667 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,705 |
| 14 | Home State | $2,134 |
| 15 | GEICO | $2,156 |
| 16 | MetLife | $2,249 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $2,310 |
| 18 | Encompass | $2,324 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,396 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,672 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
Travelers generally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Austin at around $1,052 a year. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance would also make the list of some of the cheapest Austin, TX auto insurance companies.
In the above example, if you are currently insured with Germania Mutual and switched to USAA, you might see an annual premium reduction of upwards of $165. Texas drivers with Esurance could save as much as $262 a year, and California Casualty insureds might lower prices by up to $321 a year.
These policy prices are averaged for all drivers and vehicles in Texas and and are not figured with an exact location for high risk drivers. So the company that is best for you may not even be in the top 23 companies shown above. That illustrates why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
Discount Austin auto insurance rates
Insurers that offer cheap quotes for high risk drivers may provide special discounts that can lower rates by as much as 40% or more if you are eligible. A few of the larger companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are:
- Progressive offers premium reductions for homeowner, multi-policy, online signing, continuous coverage, and online quote discount.
- MetLife has savings for multi-policy, accident-free, good student, defensive driver, good driver, claim-free
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include type of vehicle, low natural disaster claims, ease of repair, anti-theft, annual mileage, location of vehicle, and professional/association.
- Nationwide may include discounts for good student, Farm Bureau membership, business or organization, family plan, multi-policy, and defensive driving.
- GEICO discounts include military active duty, five-year accident-free, multi-vehicle, emergency military deployment, federal employee, seat belt use, and multi-policy.
- AAA policyholders can earn discounts including multi-car, education and occupation, pay-in-full, anti-theft, multi-policy, and good student.
The example below illustrates the comparison of car insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy rates. The premiums are based on a female driver, one speeding ticket and one accident, Texas state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with paid-in-full, homeowner, vehicle safety, passive restraint, continuous coverage, and anti-theft discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, theaverage yearly reduction on insurance for high risk drivers is 28% or $1,091.
Selecting a high-quality insurance company can be difficult considering how many different companies insure vehicles in Austin. The company ratings displayed below may help you decide which auto insurers to look at when trying to find the cheapest insurance for high risk drivers. The ratings below are only comprised of companies that insure vehicles across America, so companies that only write business in Texas or surrounding areas will not be included in the list.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| Mercury Insurance | 97 | 96 | 88 | 89% | A+ | 93.4 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
| 21st Century | 86 | 82 | 90 | 84% | A | 86.4 |
| Liberty Mutual | 79 | 87 | 95 | 78% | A | 85.3 |
| Farmers Insurance | 77 | 80 | 80 | 84% | A | 80.3 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Cautious Austin drivers save money
The easiest method to snag the best insurance rates in Texas for high risk drivers is to be a good driver and avoid traffic citations and accidents. The chart below illustrates how traffic citations and accidents increase auto insurance rates for different categories of driver ages. The prices are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The data in the chart shows the average cost of a car insurance policy in Austin per year with no accidents or violations is $1,889. Get one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $2,167, an increase of $277 each year. Now add in two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of insurance for high risk drivers goes up to an average of $4,495. That’s an increase of $2,606, or $217 per month, just for not paying attention while driving!