Who Has Cheap Chicago Auto Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record?

The words "bargain" and "auto insurance" really should not be used together, especially when looking for the cheapest car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record. Let's teach you some situations that significantly impact car insurance rates, and come up with some ideas to reduce the cost of your next policy.

One of the many considerations that are looked at to help calculate insurance cost is the neighborhood you call home in Chicago. More densely populated places tend to pay more, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.

The illustration below lists the priciest cities in Illinois for drivers with a bad driving record to purchase a policy in. Chicago is listed at #2 with an annual rate of $1,529 for coverage, which is approximately $127 per month.

Rate quotes are comparative as the specific zip code location can lower or raise premium rates significantly.

The make and model of vehicle that needs insurance is a significant factor that determines whether or not you can buy affordable car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record. Vehicles with higher performance, a lack of modern safety features, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer models.

The next list outlines coverage premiums for a handful of the most cost-effective vehicles to insure in Illinois.

Prices based on single female driver age 50, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Illinois minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Price estimates do not factor in garaging location in Chicago, IL which can raise or lower premiums significantly.

Based upon the table data, we can conclude that vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Ford Escape, Volkswagen Jetta, and Toyota Prius are most likely going to be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for bad drivers. The price for an auto insurance policy will be more costly because there is more liability exposure for drivers with a bad driving record, but in general those makes and models will most likely have the cheapest car insurance rates compared to other types of vehicles.

Establishing which companies have the most affordable car insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record calls for a little more sweat than just getting one or two price quotes. Every insurance company uses different criteria for determining rates, so let's take a look at the most competitive car insurance companies in Chicago, IL.

It's important that readers know that Chicago, IL car insurance rates are impacted by many things that will increase or decrease the price you pay for coverage. Simply getting older, becoming a homeowner, or getting into an accident can cause premium changes that can now make some companies cheaper than others.

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The Hartford offers some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Chicago at around $753 a year. Rockford Mutual, Titan, Erie, and Cincinnati Insurance also qualify as some of the cheapest Chicago, IL car insurance companies.

As depicted above, if you have coverage with Rockford Mutual and switched to The Hartford, you could earn savings of upwards of $85. Customers with Titan might save as much as $133 a year, and Erie policyholders might cut rates by $134 a year.

To see how much you can save, click here to begin a quote or visit any of the low-priced companies below.

Be aware that those premiums are averages across all insureds and vehicles and do not take into consideration an exact vehicle garaging location for drivers with a bad driving record. So the insurer that fits your age and vehicle best may not even be in the top 36 companies in the list above. That is why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.

Discount Chicago auto insurance

Car insurance companies that sell policies for drivers with a bad driving record could also offer rate discounts that can lower rates by as much as 25% or more if you meet specific criteria. A few popular companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.

• State Farm may include discounts for defensive driving training, accident-free, multiple policy, anti-theft, good driver, and driver's education.
• Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for mature driver, multi-car, early shopping, pay in full, bundle discounts, and business and professional.
• Progressive may offer discounts for online quote discount, multi-policy, homeowner, continuous coverage, and multi-vehicle.
• GEICO may have discounts that include defensive driver, air bags, federal employee, anti-theft, military active duty, and driver training.
• Auto-Owners Insurance includes discounts for teen driver, group or association, safe vehicle, multiple vehicles, multi-policy, paid in full, and safe driver.
• The Hartford has discounts for bundle, air bag, vehicle fuel type, driver training, good student, and anti-theft.
• Farm Bureau discounts include driver training, multi-policy, 55 and retired, safe driver, multi-vehicle, youthful driver, and renewal discount.
• USAA has savings for multi-vehicle, annual mileage, loyalty savings, vehicle storage, military installation, and family discount.

The illustration below shows the comparison of auto insurance costs with and without policy discounts. The premiums assume a female driver, two accidents and one citation, Illinois state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $100 deductibles.

The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with passive restraint, paid-in-full, marriage, multiple policy, vehicle safety, and paperless filing discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theaverage yearly reduction on car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record is 28% or $1,238.

Accidents and violations increase rates

One of the best ways to get the best car insurance premiums in Illinois for bad drivers is to be an attentive driver and not receive tickets or have accidents. The chart below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders can affect insurance costs for each different age category. The premiums assume a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.

In the chart above, the average cost of a car insurance policy in Illinois per year with no violations or accidents is $1,238. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost rises to $1,631, an increase of $394 each year. Next add one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record goes up to an average of $2,026. That's an increase of $789, or $66 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!

Here's why you should shop around

Illinois car insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can significantly increase or decrease your annual premium. Getting older, marrying your spouse, or having an at-fault accident can trigger price changes resulting in some rates now being more affordable than before. Not only may things change on your end, but car insurance companies file new Illinois car insurance rates multiple times each year to adjust for heavy claims or excess profits. An extended period of higher than normal claims can cause rate increases, while better underwriting can cause lower-cost Chicago car insurance rates.

To illustrate this point, the chart below compares the cheapest car insurance in Chicago, IL for a 35-year-old female driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and great credit. If we compare prices based on her current risk profile, The Hartford has the lowest car insurance rates in Chicago at $1,222 per year. This is $127 less than the average premium paid by Illinois drivers of $1,349. Rockford Mutual, Titan, Cincinnati Insurance, and Erie are also included in the cheapest Chicago, IL auto insurance companies.

In the next rate comparison, we'll give the driver from the above example an accident claim, poor credit, and a blemish on her driving record. Because each company has a proprietary formula to determine rates, comparing prices may result in a slightly different list of companies as shown below.

Travelers now has the best price in Chicago with USAA, SECURA, State Farm, and Auto-Owners now rounding out the top five. This example demonstrates why it is crucial to shop around with many companies to get the most budget-friendly auto insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record.

Car insurance prices consist of many things and change substantially, so the most economical option the last time you shopped around may now be costing you a lot of money.

If you like to get some professional advice when trying to find lower insurance rates for bad drivers, the insurance agencies below can help you determine which insurance coverage will be best for you. To locate a Chicago auto insurance agent close to you, click the link at the bottom.

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