Car Insurance. Bad Eyesight Threatens Your Insurance Cover.
If you wear glasses, contact lenses or have any other impairment to your eyesight, you may also suffer from a higher risk of accidents. But what exactly does this mean for your car insurance?
This article sets out to answer that question and more by examining the consequences of driving with impaired vision on your car insurance policy. You'll learn about:
- How wearing glasses affects your insurance rate
- The risks associated with different degrees of eye impairment
- How color blindness can result in higher rates and penalties
- The benefits of lifelong drivers license plate renewal and their impacts on eye exams and drivers license renewals.
If you wear glasses, then you are most likely in the majority of American adults (around 66%). The fact that you wear glasses may also be an important factor when it comes to your car insurance rate, because some insurers use this as a basis for determining how much risk is involved with insuring your car. If you have a history or impaired eyesight either from wearing glasses or having impaired vision without them, then you may pay more for car insurance.
Wearing Glasses Impacts Your Premiums
When determining what to charge, most companies will look at both your age and gender, the type of car or cars that you drive and where you drive them. Those who wear glasses will likely pay more because of the risks that are involved when you have impaired vision. If you are young, male and driving a sports car, then you will likely pay more than those in the same category who do not. It's important to note that one size doesn't fit all for car insurance rates.
How Much More & How Much Do You Pay?
According to an article by InsuranceQuotes.com,"Men generally pay more for their auto insurance than women." In general men typically pay about $824 a year to insure their vehicles while women only pay about $721 a year on average. Why do men pay more?
One reason involves age differences. Insurance companies typically charge more for men because they are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents and make claims. But another reason is that men tend to drive faster and have a higher rate of tickets, accidents and speeding violations as well.
The same is true for those who wear glasses since they are at greater risk of being in an accident. Typically, the first question that insurance companies ask is whether you wear glasses or have impaired vision without them. Those who wear glasses may have higher rates than those whose vision is perfect even if they do not need them for driving purposes.
What is the Impact?
In most states, you have to wear corrective lenses while driving in order for your insurance to cover any injuries you may incur in an accident. If your vision is impaired without glasses, then you may be held liable for any accidents regardless of whether you are wearing glasses or not. If this happens, then it's possible to face significant penalties including full cash value and higher rates if you fall under a group plan. In the event you are involved in an accident with a driver who does not wear glasses and is driving with impaired vision, then you may have your own car insurance rates increase in order to compensate for any injuries you may sustain.
The Benefits of LIFETIME Plate Renewals
It's important to understand that there are different types of car insurance policies, including personal, group and commercial policies as well as a variety of other variations. If you are a healthy adult who does not need any glasses or whose vision is perfect then you should be able to renew your license plate every 4 years instead of every 8 years. In most states, drivers license renewal fees are higher than the original application and licensing fee. Why?
If you had a clean driving record without any speeding tickets or accidents, then your insurance company will likely pay less to cover your car or you may not need as much coverage. By renewing every 4 years instead of every 8 years, you save many times the amount that is saved when opting for a lifetime drivers license plate renewal. This savings allows you to keep your coverage consistent and up to date with no increase in rates even if you have an accident or need glasses.
You and Your Insurance Rate
Impaired vision has far reaching impacts on your car insurance rate beyond wearing glasses. If you have a history of accidents, tickets or other violations, then the car insurance company may find that those records cause them to increase your rates even if you are not wearing glasses.
In order to protect yourself from this risk, it's important to understand how car insurance works so that you know what benefits are available to you as you consider all of your options. If you need more information about this issue or car insurance in general, then talk to an agent from Your Choice Insurance Group today. Our agents have been with us for many years and would love to help guide you through the process of determining what type of policy is best for your needs and budget. Call us today at (904) 454-1170 for a free quote.
Is Being Colorblind a Risk Factor?
Are you color blind? If so, then your car insurance rate may be higher than those of color vision. One of the reasons that this is the case is because it can be difficult to detect red lights when driving in traffic. This means that you may not stop quickly enough and therefore not avoid accidents as successfully as others. According to an article by InsuranceQuotes.com, "Nearly 57% of all cyclists involved in accidents who were killed or severely injured were hit by red light runners.
The fact that such a large percentage of these accidents were pedestrians makes the red light runners even more culpable. It's also important to note that cyclists ride at night most of the time, but are still hit by red light runners who are in their cars."
How Many Times Do You Have To Renew Your License Plate?
In order to renew a driver license plate, you need to visit your local DMV and pay your renewal fee. In some states you will have the option to purchase an additional license plate or plates if it is cheaper than paying the renewal fee for one plate or fewer plates. Certain states require you to buy additional plates while others do not.
Conclusion
If you are colorblind and drive at night, then it's possible that you will be safer if you renew your license plate every 4 years instead of every 8 years. This is because the longer you wait to renew your driver license, the less likely the DMV will be to require that you wear corrective lenses while driving. In most states, drivers who do not wear corrective lenses while driving are considered more culpable in accidents and may be held liable even if they did not commit an offense. Regardless of whether or not you fall into this category, it's important to understand how your car insurance rates are impacted and how much they change based on the choices that you make as a driver.