Rhode Island Auto Insurance

Rhode Island Auto Insurance
by James Robinson

The small size of RI lends itself nicely to offering rural residents the ability to find some very cheap Rhode Island auto insurance rates is one is simply willing to shop around. The reason for these cheap rates is that the population in Rhode Island is approximately 1,067,610 according to the United States Census Bureau; and the state itself unlike others, does not have really big cities. This is a perfect fit for the residents because the lower the number of people in the state, the lower theft rates and car accidents are going to be (which are two of the most important things when it comes to producing the price in a RI auto insurance policy).

Residents of the state should also know that since most of Rhode Island consists of small towns and communities with many rural areas, their prices will be relatively lower in comparison to other places. The state however, like all the other ones in the nation mandates that a person must have automobile insurance before setting foot and actually driving a motor vehicle. But just how much coverage should a person expect to get if they want to transit the roads of Rhode Island?

The Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles will not give a license to anyone that does not show proof of having automobile insurance with what the state calls a 25/50/25 coverage. This means that a person expecting to drive in the state of Rhode Island has to have $25,000 for bodily injury liability coverage per person involved in the accident and up to $50,000. The third number simply refers to property damage coverage and a person in this state is required by law to have $25,000 to cover this expenses after an automobile accident.

One thing to note about this state is that it does not have a Personal Injury Protection Coverage (also called PIP). This coverage will take care of your medical expenses or the medical expenses of the passengers in the car you are driving at the time of an accident and it can be vital in saving you money or in helping you avoid being sued by one of your passengers after an injury. Although a lot of people don't see the need for these coverage it is always important to try and get a quote to see how much it really adds to the policy, and if the price does not go up as much and it's affordable then it is always good to have the coverage.

People in Rhode Island paid about $250 more in auto insurance compared to the average rate in the nation. This means that although some people are saving money in this state, some others are paying high rates - the average is driven up quite a bit by those who live in Providence, Warwick, Pawtucket, Cranston, and some of the other relatively larger cities in RI.

In order to save some money those people with high rates can opt to shopping around for a more convenient price. They can do this by simply requesting quotes from their company and other institutions to see which one gives them the advantage when it comes to pricing (although it is important to highlight that not all the cheap policies have the same level of coverage, so you must always shop around).

There are other things however, that Rhode Island residents can do when it comes to trying to find low cost auto insurance. They can try and stick with the minimum coverage (that does not have collision or comprehensive coverage) if they have an older car and money in the savings to fix the vehicle in case of an accident. The lowest rates possible will come when people purchase the minimum coverage.

If you are still making payments on the vehicle or you are leasing the car you will not be able to stick with the minimum requirements. The reason for this is that the company you bough or leased the vehicle from wants a guarantee that you will pay in full, so they make the buyer get collision and comprehensive coverage so that they can be paid back when the vehicle is damaged.