Get The Best Cheap Car Insurance In San Diego California With American Insurance

Info On California Car Insurance

Most states require automobile insurance coverage in order to register and drive their car, and California is no different. Even though California is on the lower end of required insurance amounts, most drivers look to purchase higher amounts of insurance coverage than the minimum limits. This can be a fantastic idea when it comes to getting the right amount of protection in case a car crash happens.

The minimums in California for car insurance coverage include bodily injury to others coverage, in the amount of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. Also, property damage liability coverage of $5000 per accident is required. Lastly, the state of California requires that drivers purchase uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage and uninsured property damage coverage. Uninsured motorist bodily damage coverage is required at a minimum of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. For uninsured motorist property damage coverage, the minimum amount necessary to drive legally is $3,500.

It is important to note that these insurance coverages do not pay for damage to your own personal property, vehicle, or medical expenses. They do, however, cover the costs of medical bills and property damage to another person's car.

Some Laws To Be Aware Of For New Residents

Not all car insurance companies are authorized to do business in the state of California. There are penalties for not being insured, and these can be avoided by taking care to meet the following conditions:

-If your insurance company files a power of attorney that allows California's DMV's to act as its agent. By allowing the DMV to act as its agent for legal service in California, you will meet the first requirement.

-If your vehicle cannot be renewed due to having insurance in another state, you can fulfill the second requirement. People cannot renew policies that are issued out of state after the vehicle is registered in the new state.

-Also, your liability policy must meet or exceed the minimum required by the state of California. This includes both bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage.

By adhering to all three of these things, drivers can avoid having their license suspended or being subjected to other penalties.

While not a law, new residents of the city of San Diego should be aware that their vehicle may need to be washed more often than in other places. This is because the salt in the air can damage the paint job on your car.

Some Laws To Be Aware Of For San Diego Driving And Insurance

California itself has some pretty unique laws. In California, for example, it is against the law for people to hunt game from a moving vehicle. The exception to this rule is if they are hunting whales. Additionally, cars and other vehicles are not allowed to surpass 60 mph if there is no driver in the car. These are a few of the laws that pertain to driving in California that could be considered a little bit odd. There are also unique laws in a  number of cities and townships throughout the state, some pertaining to activities such as car washing.

One of the stranger laws in San Diego is that in addition to drinking and driving, there are laws in the books pertaining to drinking and being a passenger. There are also many standard laws in the city, such as speed limits and overnight parking laws.

Tips For Driving In San Diego

Many people that have driven in San Diego have come across some driving experiences that are less than pleasurable, like traffic. While many other cities are quite a bit worse, San Diego has its moments. If you are heading to San Diego to live or travel, some tips can help make the experience better. There is a lot to see and do in San Diego, and it is even better when the stresses of driving are eliminated as much as possible.

First off, many of the freeways in the San Diego area have four lanes. The lane on the far left is for faster travelling cars, and the lane on the far right is the vehicles that are going at slower speeds. This can include vehicles such as trucks, cars pulling trailers, and cars driven by people who want to drive slower. There can be a lot of variance in the speed of the outer lanes, so take care to select the lane that best represents a comfortable driving speed for you. This is a safety and etiquette tip.

Additionally, San Diego has carpool lanes on some of its freeways. For people who do not know what they're doing, these lanes should generally be avoided. Drivers who use these lanes must know how to enter and exit them, what to do when they are in them, and specifically where they are going. The speeds in these lanes are generally faster than the speeds of the other lanes, so you will need to be comfortable driving at faster speeds as well.

Speeds in the first lane, the one furthest to the left, can get quite fast. Drivers who are not comfortable driving at faster speeds, with just a car length of space between cars, should avoid using this lane. There are times where the second lane from the left is also treated this way. When this happens, it can be a good idea to utilize the third lane from the left instead. As in most places, going the speed of the other cars in the lane is the best and safest option. If you want to drive slower, choose another lane.

Freight trucks often use the I-5 freeway because it starts at the Mexican border and ends at the border of Canada. For this reason, it is popular as a shipping route, and some people void it. The freight trucks prefer to travel in lane three, so if you are utilizing this freeway, take care to leave enough space both in front of you and behind you. In cases where you are looking to pass freight trucks, it is smart to do so quickly and safely.

Planning your routes ahead of time can decrease the chances of missing exits to the freeways that you need to take. When approaching an exit that you need to make, it is recommended to move into the lane furthest to the right at least one mile before the exit.

Accidents, hazards, and construction are all reasons that heavy traffic could occur on the route you are looking to take. There are GPS map apps that you can download to help you avoid where the heavy traffic is. When this happens, it can often be much more efficient to navigate around the heavy traffic than to wait for the traffic to clear out.

Similar to any other city, San Diego has rush-hour traffic. This happens when people are going to work in the morning and when they're heading back home from work in the late afternoon and early evening. Traffic will be heavier on the freeways, and other roads as well, during these times.

It can be a good idea to keep a snack in your car just in case you run into traffic. Having something to munch on will leave you prepared if you end up having to wait on the freeway for a more extended period.

Never drive under the influence of alcohol. Not only is it extremely dangerous and expensive, but it can also have a significant negative impact on people's lives in other ways as well. There are many other options for people who need transportation from wherever they are to wherever they are going within the city.

Pedicabs, which are three-wheeled taxis, are utilized downtown and share the road. If you are driving in the downtown area of San Diego, you will want to keep a lookout for these and take care when driving around them.

Getting The Cheapest Insurance

Getting the cheapest car insurance in San Diego is the result of a number of variables. Some of them are able to be impacted and improved, and others are not. The age of a driver is one example of something that they cannot change.

Some things that are difficult to change at sometimes, but easier to change at others, include the make model and year of your vehicle. The vehicle you are driving has an impact on the rate you pay, including the age of the car, as well as the results of the safety testing on the model. While older vehicles may cost more to insure, because of repair costs, they are also worth less, which benefits people so far as the amount of coverage is needed for replacement if the car gets totaled. 

Some things can be changed, like credit scores and driving records. Good drivers get the best rates, so for drivers that have made claims, been in accidents, or have gotten a lot of tickets, the best way to save money moving forward is to focus on being a good driver until these tickets come off of your record.

Drivers can also save money by pairing the car insurance up with insurance of another type. Having multiple types of car insurance policies will score you discounts that can help you save money. Additionally, safety and security measures that are built into or added onto your car, such as security systems like alarms, can help you save money.

Deductibles are another variable that can be adjusted to help save money on a car insurance policy. It is vital that whatever deductible you decide upon is affordable for you. This is because the car insurance company will not help pay for costs in many situations until the deductible has been paid first. Finding the balance between enough coverage to help pay for expenses if an accident occurs and is your fault, and the amount you can afford/want to pay for premiums, is essential.

Final Notes

There are many places to get great views of downtown San Diego when driving. The city has immense beauty in both its scenery and its people. The Coronado bridge is a beautiful place to get a look at downtown San Diego and Coronado Island. Point Loma is also extremely beautiful.

Driving in San Diego is much easier when following these tips. Make sure you have the adequate amount of car insurance that you need by talking to an agent at American Insurance. Knowing both the amount of coverage that is best for you and how to drive safely in the city, you can both save a lot of money and time.