Tag: insurance

Study: GMAC Insurance test suggests one-in-five drivers would fail driver’s test

Filed under: Etc., Safety

driving fail

Our roadways are filled with crappy drivers. It’s an unfortunate fact that we take our lives into our hands every time we strap on a seatbelt and head out on the open road. But at least we all have passed the most basic test of driving skill, right?

Sadly, according to a recent test carried out by GMAC Insurance, a driver’s license may not mean what we think it means. Apparently, one-in-five drivers would fail their driver’s test if they had to retake it today. Such simple rules about what to do when approaching a yellow light and how much distance to leave in between the car ahead were answered incorrectly by a shocking three out of four drivers.

After three consecutive years at the bottom of the list, New York drivers managed to move up to 45th, leaving the District of Columbia to earn their spot as the worst drivers in America. Kansas drivers scored the highest. In other us-versus-them news, men managed to score a significant six-percent better than women, and drivers between the ages of 60 and 65 scored the highest.

Check out the complete press release after the break for more interesting tidbits, and feel free to take a simple test yourself at the GMAC Insurance website.

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GMAC Insurance test suggests one-in-five drivers would fail driver’s test originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infographic: Why is your car insurance so high?

Filed under: Etc., Safety

Car insurance rate infographic – Click above to view in high-res

Car insurance rates are determined with a host of factors in mind. Objective items like a motorist’s age and driving record are the most-weighted factors insurers consider, but those items among a couple of dozens of things used to figure out what your premiums will be. Included in the CarInsurance.com graphic are stats like 2010’s most-expensive car to insure, the Porsche 911 GT2, and the least, the Mazda Tribute.

Behind driving record, age and marital status are factors like what you drive, your gender, your state and credit rating. While lots of the factors are things drivers have some control over, a small part of the insurance rate you pay comes down to what company you choose to go with and which policy you buy. Follow the jump for an expanded breakdown of insurance costs.

[Source: CarInsurance.com]

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Infographic: Why is your car insurance so high? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Average lifetime car insurance costs estimated at $84,000

Filed under: Etc., Safety

Iggy Pop car insurance bus ad

Unless you live in New Hampshire, here in the States, you’re required to have some form of car insurance covering your vehicle. The annual cost to insure a car depends on an array of factors ranging from the type of vehicle to where you live to your driving record. You undoubtedly know what you pay for insurance on an annual or monthly basis, but do you know how much you will end up paying over the course of your driving life? According to Insurance.com, the average person will spend $84,388.

What does ‘average’ mean in the context of this study? In this case, researchers assume that you first insure your own vehicle at 21 years old, get married at 27, insure two teenagers for a few years and then stop driving when you turn 75. That passage of time is filled with a variety of claims, including accidents and other incidents that get sent across your insurance agent’s desk.

Predictably, Insurance.com offers up a few suggestions for cutting your overall coverage expenses. Some are easier said than done (avoid traffic tickets) while others might actually be fun (defensive driving course). Check out the company’s press release for the full details after the jump.

[Source: Insurance.com | Image: Flickr/jcrakow via CC2.0]

Continue reading Study: Average lifetime car insurance costs estimated at $84,000

Study: Average lifetime car insurance costs estimated at $84,000 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AP: Seven insurance companies sue Toyota over unintended acceleration-related claims

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

unhappy Toyota windshield sticker

Can’t say we didn’t see this one coming… According to the Associated Press, seven insurance companies* are suing Toyota in California court for damages in excess of $230,000. We suspect that figure could rise, as it’s derived from just 14 of the alleged 725 total accidents the insurers claim Toyota is at least partially at fault for.

The suit reportedly alleges that Toyota is at fault for accidents blamed on unintended acceleration because the Japanese automaker failed to equip its vehicles with a brake override system that would electronically force the engine to return to idle if both the accelerator and brake pedals were pressed at the same time. After the recall hubbub first began, Toyota announced that all of its future models will come with this technology.

For its part, a Toyota spokesperson unsurprisingly responded that “any allegation that a vehicle-based defect is the cause of unintended acceleration in this or any other complaint is completely unfounded and has no basis.” In December of 2010, Toyota agreed to settle a high-profile case in California regarding unintended acceleration in a Toyota Camry for $10 million, though it never admitted any wrongdoing. Four people were killed in that accident.

In October of 2010, Allstate filed suit against Toyota seeking $3 million in compensation as a result of 270 claims of sudden acceleration.

*The seven insurance companies bringing forth this suit are: American Automobile Insurance Co., Fireman’s Fund Insurance, National Surety Corp., Ameriprise Insurance, IDS Property Casualty Insurance, Motorists Mutual Insurance and American Hardware Mutual Insurance.

[Source: Associated Press via AOL Autos | Image: David McNew/Getty]

AP: Seven insurance companies sue Toyota over unintended acceleration-related claims originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota sued by Allstate over sudden-acceleration insurance claims

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Toyota

Toyota emblem and dealer sign

Like every other automaker, Toyota is always looking to increase the safety of its vehicles, be it through investing millions of dollars towards R&D or incorporating new safety measures as standard equipment. It’s also working hard to fully restore its recently tarnished public image. Hurdles do keep popping up now and again, however, with the latest one has been placed by Allstate. According to the Los Angeles Times, the insurance company is seeking $3 million in compensation as a result of 270 claims of sudden acceleration.

The suit was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on October 1, 2010. Allstate claims that the suit was a last resort as a result of failed out-of-court negotiations. However, a spokesperson for the automakers says “the unfounded allegations in this suit have no basis.”

Toyota recently announced that it has resolved issues with over five million vehicles, as a result of three main recalls. Nearly two million of the vehicles had stuck accelerator issues while the other three million had their floormats replaced or repaired.

Complaints of sudden acceleration have fallen by 80 percent since April of 2010. At its peak, the claims averaged 800 per week but have since fallen to around 150 per week. Toyota has dispatched safety review teams to examine over 4,000 vehicles and has yet to find an instance of sudden acceleration being caused by anything electrical. Regardless, the automaker is increasing the standard safety features fitted to its vehicles, the latest of which is Smart-Stop, a brake override system that engages when the throttle is open greater than 33 percent, the vehicle speed is over 5 miles per hour and the brakes are pressed firmly. Allstate believes that Toyota vehicles should already have featured this technology.

[Source: Los Angeles Times | Image: Ramin Talaie/Getty]

Toyota sued by Allstate over sudden-acceleration insurance claims originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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