Texas Auto Insurance – Cheap Car Insurance Quotes from Top Carriers
Texas Liability Auto Insurance Minimums
- $30,000 for bodily injury or death to one person per accident - $60,000 for bodily injury or death to two or more persons per accident - $25,000 for damage or destruction to other property in an accident
In the state of Texas every personal and business vehicle owner must have general liability insurance coverage to meet the state’s “financial responsibility” minimums. You are required to buy liability insurance, of $30,000 for each injured person, up to a total of $60,000 for all injuries per accident and $25,000 for property damage per accident.
On occasion these minimum coverage amounts may fall short in the case of a serious car accident. If you are considered at-fault for the damage, then you will have to pay any amount above your maximum insurance payouts - from your own pocket.
Consumer Reports suggests that a general guideline for adequate bodily injury liability limits is $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, plus $100,000 for property damage. This much coverage will be paid by your insurance company for the damages incurred in an accident you are held liable for. It is also recommended in order to all risks, that you also get a $100,000 uninsured motorist policy. This will cover your medical costs and pay for bodily injury liability when someone with no insurance hits you.
Learn more about the mandatory auto insurance requirements in Texas
Texas Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) Laws
Just a few years ago, Texas was considered the DWI State. In 2009 – there were more deaths in drunk driving accidents (1,235) than in any other US State. Now Texas has some of the Country’s toughest drunk driving laws. If you are stopped by an officer for suspicion of DWI, they will most likely ask you to take a field sobriety test and a chemical test.
There are three field sobriety tests:
• The horizontal gaze test • The walk and turn test • The one leg stand
These tests are designed to measure your physical and mental acuteness. If asked to take these tests, you have the right to politely decline. The officer may also ask you to take a chemical test as well. This test is usually administered to measure you Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).
But Texas laws basically state that whenever you drive you are consenting to take an alcohol or drug test if a police officer deems it necessary. If you do not consent (even politely) to the chemical test after 41 days, your license will be suspended for 180 days.
There are two definitions of DWI in Texas:
(1) When the person driving does not have “normal use of mental or physical faculties – because of the introduction of alcohol, a controlled substance, drug or a combination of two or more of these substances in the body. (2) Having a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher.
Learn more about Texas DUI Laws - including first, second and third DWI offense penalties.
Texas SR22 Insurance Certificate Requirements
If a person is convicted of DWI or other high risk moving violations, odds are that they need to get SR-22 insurance. Technically, SR-22 Insurance is not really insurance in the traditional form – it is a certificate showing proof that the minimum amount required for vehicle liability insurance has been purchased.
When you file an SR22 form, your license will be reinstated after a suspension or it may be used to prevent the suspension from occurring if filed within 30 days of the directive.
The SR-22 certificate is issued in one of three forms:
• Operator’s Certificate – Motorists operating non-owned vehicles can get the policy. • Owner’s Certificate – Drivers operating owned vehicles can buy an owner’s certificate. • Operators-Owners Certificate – The policy covers all vehicles owned or non-owned by the driver.
Learn more about SR-22 insurance
Texas Distracted Driver Laws
In the state of Texas there is no state-wide ban on cell phone use or texting – except in school zones and for teenage drivers.
Specifically:
• Drivers under the age of 18 are not allowed to use wireless communications devices at all (calling or texting). • Learners permit holders cannot use handheld cell phones until they have completed the first six months of driving. • School bus drivers cannot use cell phones while driving if there are children riding in the bus. • Drivers of all motor vehicles are not allowed to use handheld devices in school crossing zones.
Be wary though, because some Texas local towns and cities have passed cell phone prohibition laws specific to their towns.
Some cities with their own cell phone banning laws are:
• Alvin • Amarillo • Burnet • El Paso • McAllen • Missouri City • San Antonio • Stephenville
Learn more about the Governor veto and Texas cities that ban texting while driving
TexasSure - Don't drive without insurance in Texas
While most Texas residents fulfill the insurance requirements, some motorists do not (about 20%). This is why the state government has come up with the new program TexasSure. This program is designed to verify a driver’s proof of financial responsibility.
The Department of Public Safety, local law enforcement, and state vehicle registration offices verify the validity of auto insurance by cross-referencing the information with insurers.
TexasSure is also known as the State of Texas Financial Responsibility Verification Program. It is a joint venture that is directed by the 79th Texas Legislature and created by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), and the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR).
The State of Texas implemented this program to make weeding out of uninsured drivers from Texas roads faster. With the program, the process of verifying whether a vehicle is insured or not can be done fairly quickly by the law enforcement officers and designated state users.
With this immediate verification made possible by TexasSure, errant drivers that carry fraudulent or false proof of automobile insurance cards will be easily exposed before the troopers. Also those motorists who get a valid insurance card, and then drop their insurance coverage later will also be easily caught by the law enforcement officers.
With this program, the state is working steadily towards its goal to lower the number of uninsured motorists in Texas. As per the Texas Department of Insurance, there are roughly 20% of vehicles in Texas that are uninsured at any given time. Weeding out these uninsured drivers is made easier by TexasSure, which provides instant access to insurance information on a given vehicle to the law enforcement agencies and others.
The process of TexasSure begins when a motorist becomes an insurance policy holder, the insurance company reports that information to the state. The state is also informed of dropped policies or even lapsed coverage. This means that the enforcement agencies have the latest proof of financial responsibility information of every driver in Texas.
How to Lower Texas Car Insurance Rates
If you are looking forward to lower your Texas auto insurance rates, then you have to keep in mind certain factors. Your driving record speaks a lot about your character and this affects the premiums you will have to pay. Observe all the rules and be considerate to fellow drivers. Avoiding accident creating situations will reduce the chance of making claims. If you have no history of claims, then naturally the Texas car insurance rates will come down. Apart from keeping your driving record impeccable, check out these other factors too.
Your Credit Score: Paying your bills on time will increase your credit score. If the insurance company feels that you can be trusted, then it would be advantageous to you...and your insurance premiums will be reduced.
All for One Insurance Coverage: If you have more than one vehicle, it literally pays to have one auto insurance company cover both (or all three) vehicles. When you encompass your auto, home and other items that need coverage, your rates will be even lower.
Raise the Deductible: The deductible is the amount that the policy holder is willing to pay out of his or her pocket when there is an insurance claim. If you are willing to pay a higher deductible - you are gauging your own risk (betting on yourself) - and your overall insurance premiums will be lower.
Read the top 10 tips on saving money on car insurance
Learn more about the auto insurance minimum requirements in Texas auto insurance minimum requirements in Texas
Texas Teen Driver Laws
• Texas utilizes a Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) system for teen drivers • Texas teens need to be 15 years of age to apply for an instruction permit
Automobile insurance varies from state and there are specific rules regarding Texas car insurance. This article deals with the specifications regarding auto insurance in Texas.
Texas Auto Insurance Online
There are so many car insurance companies in Texas that most people are baffled by the many choices and options available. It’s not physically possible (for most people) to visit each company online and inquire about their policies and get quotes.
All the major insurance companies in Texas own a website and you can easily visit them, state your preferences and get a quote. This is possible only if you are sure of which company to choose and have the time. If you are not sure of the company you want to work with, there is a much simpler method to review multiple auto insurance quotes.
By entering your zip code in the banner above (and below), you will be taken to a page that will include up to eight insurance companies. In less than ten minutes you can enter your personal information – which is all 100% confidential, and get back a quote from each company.
Now you can easily compare the different rates from each insurance company and choose the best fit for you and your family. Here you can save up to 50% on your auto insurance – in less than 10 minutes. This tool has enabled thousands of Texas residents save hundreds of thousands of dollars on car insurance.
